


Humanity's Strongest Family

by VivaDeAsap



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Ackerchildren, Ackerpowers, Arguing, Breaking of trust, F/M, Modern AU, New Titan Ability, Titans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VivaDeAsap/pseuds/VivaDeAsap
Summary: In this Modern AU, Join Levi and Mikasa Ackerman as they try to raise their family when their once peaceful city becomes with gigantic humanoid monsters called Titans. Will the Ackerman Family keep it together or will their love be devoured by the stress inducing panic.
Relationships: And many other little ships, Mikasa Ackerman/Levi, Minor Armin/Annie - Relationship, Minor Eren Yeager/Historia Reiss, Minor Hange/Moblit., Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there. This story is originally posted on FFNET and I decided to come and share it wth the RivaMika lovers here on AO3. I really hope you guys enjoy this.  
> P.S this is my first time using this site so I don't really get how a lot of the features work, such as displaying some text I bold, but I'm going to try and make things work.

The sound of gun fire was all that could be heard on an arid, bare land. The sun was shining high in the sky as a squad of soldiers navigated the battlefield. "Keep yourselves alert at all costs! We can't afford to lose any more people to those dipshits!" their captain barked as they advanced towards their goal. They were on the losing side of the war they were locked in and were running low on men.

"Captain! the enemy is preparing to fire!" one of the soldiers shouted while pointing at enemy soldiers readying themselves. They were more in number and had sufficient resources.

"Take cover behind the boulder" the captain ordered before they dashed towards the large rock as the enemy began to fire. Al the squad could hear was the sound of the bullets hitting the rock. Each of them silently prayed that the boulder would last.

The guns silenced as the enemy was beginning to reload. The Captain decided to check on his troops, "Did everyone make it?" he asked while glancing at his squad members. Everyone was intact.

"Alright soldiers! Prepare to fire," the captain said as the soldiers readied themselves. Each of them clenched their guns anxiously. This was a moment that was crucial to their survival and if they could eliminate their opponents, they would secure a victory.

The sound of the enemy fire was heard again before they stopped to reload. The Captain knew this was their opportunity, "Fire!" he ordered before his squad began to fire. The enemy forces were taken down by the onslaught.

The captain put his gun away and peeked. Every one of the opposing force's soldiers in the area was down, "Great job. The sons of bitches are dead," he said before his squad members rushed over to the corpses, "what are you doing?"

"We're just looting them. We're low on resources," one of his members explained as they searched the corpses. They happened to find ammo and other items that would prove useful.

The captain sighed as he leaned against the rock watching his comrades. He wasn't one that believed in looting and thus he preferred to stand back and watch. He closed his eyes as he found this to be an opportunity to rest for a bit before they advanced. Suddenly, he felt vibrations in the ground.  
"What is that rumbling?" one of the squad members asked as they all glanced around.

"I bet those are just land mines going off," the other one said as he reloaded.

The soldiers continued to theorize as the captain watched them. Though he wasn't sure what could've been happening, he couldn't help but get concerned as the vibrations didn't seem to cease. In fact, they got fiercer. Suddenly, one of the soldiers shouted, "What the hell is that?"

Everyone faced the direction in which the soldier pointed and spotted a figure in the distance. "What is that?" the soldiers said before pulling out their binoculars. In the distance was a trail of dust that was made by a large humanoid figure that was approaching them quickly with a strut. Confused, the soldier turned to his fellow soldiers and they all shared a look.

"What's going on over there?" the captain asked as he noticed his soldiers staring ahead of them. Suddenly they all got terrified looks and pulled out their guns, firing continuously.

"It's a monster. Retreat!" one of them shouted but before they could escape, the monster caught two of them and began to feast on them as they screamed for help. The remaining soldier tried his best to shoot at the beast but his bullets didn't even seem to faze the monster as it swallowed the two. It then grabbed the soldier and snapped him into half before devouring him.

The captain watched in horror as he locked eyes with the grinning beast. Its appearance was that of a deformed human being with a large head and eyes. it opened its mouth and drool flowed to the ground before it licked its lips at the captain.

The captain held onto his rifle and aimed it at the monster, "w-whatever you are… s-stay back!" he ordered before the monster lunged at him. He did his best to shoot at it but like his comrade, the bullets had no effect. He dropped his gun and was about to run off when the monster grabbed him and lifted him to eye level.

"P-Please I have a family!" the captain begged. He wasn't one to beg but in a situation like this, he had no chances of defeating the strange monster. The monster held him over it's open mouth, "don't eat me!" the monster then dropped him into its mouth.

"Huh!" Levi gasped as he sat up from his bed. His heart pounded so hard that it felt as though it would just pop out of his chest. He then let out a sigh as he tried to calm down. It was all just a dream but it felt too realistic, but then, didn't all dreams feel like that?

"Another nightmare?" a female voice asked from beside him. He turned and locked eyes with his wife's silver eyes looking at him with concern. Her pink lips had a slight frown probably because she was worried.

"Yes," Levi responded before stroking her black hair, "but don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"I really think you should go for therapy. Your dreams are only getting worse," she started, causing Levi to chuckle at her.

"Listen, Mikasa. I don't need any therapy," he explained while calming down. "These dreams just come about with being a war veteran. It's totally normal."

"We left the military together and yet you're the only one that has these dreams," she complained before sighing, "Maybe if you had tried to get something to do to keep yourself busy like finding another job, you wouldn't have to be struggling to sleep like this."

"Mikasa, I am very okay with being a stay at home dad and looking after the house. There's no maid that can clean better than me and look after the kids like I can," he said proudly before looking back at her, "you just worry too much. What time is it anyway?"

"It's 6AM," Mikasa responded before sitting up, "I need to get ready for work."

"And I need to get breakfast ready," Levi said as they both got off of the bed. Mikasa walked into the bathroom while her husband made his way to the kitchen.

Their house was quite well furnished as it was on the more expensive side of the scale. It cost a lot but it did prove to be ideal for raising their children.

The Veteran walked down the staircase as he approached his destination. The floor was mostly marble and there was a lot of antique décor around the house.

He waked into the kitchen. It had an island design with some of the best appliances on the market. Levi leaned against the smooth counter to decide what he would cook. In a lot homes, cooking is the woman's job but in the Ackerman house, most of the "female responsibilities" were taken by Levi and he didn't really care that most men made fun of him for it. Especially since he was shorter than his wife.

"I'll just do some bacon and eggs," he decided before he began to work on serving his family.

About an hour past and his family had come down for breakfast. "Wow daddy, this is good!" their two-year old daughter, Marie, complimented as she munched on her breakfast. She looked like her mother with longer black hair and the same pink lips and eyes. A few crumbs fell onto her shirt, prompting her father to clean her up.

"Let's not get dirty, kiddo," he said while trying his best to get the crumbs off of her. He loved his kids and therefore made it his goal to make sure that they were clean at all times.  
"I really hope none of the children develop your cleaning OCD," Mikasa said to her husband as she ate her meal. She then gave him a playful smile, "this is still good-Though, I doubt you'll ever be better than me."

"Heh, just you wait," he responded before turning to eat his food. Despite spending a lot of time working, Mikasa still proved to be superior in the kitchen and that was one of many activities the Ackerman couple competed in.

"You stay out of my plate!" one of their twin sons said to his twin brother while guarding his plate. It seemed his brother had finished his bacon and was trying to get a hold of his.  
"Just give me one!" the other, responded while trying to grab a strip. They continued to bicker before they got into a full out fight.

"Hey you two, stop fighting," Mikasa said with a parental tone as the two boys stopped to fight and sulked while facing away from each other. These boys looked just like their mother too with her hair, eyes and lips being reminiscent of hers. Both boys had bowl cuts and were dressed in the standard black school uniform.

The twins were often in sync and agreed on most occasions, however, they still had a terrible tendency to bicker with one another and it often ended with a fight.

"Dean," Mikasa started, addressing the slightly larger twin.

"Yes," he responded, raising his silver eyes to meet his mother's.

"What did I tell you about forcing yourself on others?" Mikasa asked as all eyes were focused on the boy.

"You said it was rude and that I should ask," he muttered.

"Good, now apologize to your brother."

"I'm not apologizing to him," Dean scoffed, passing his brother a dirty look.

"Dean, if you don't fucking apologize to Daniel then I swear you'll be grounded for three whole months. And don't even ask me about how you'll use the bathroom," Levi threatened in his usual low tone. Dean was about to retort but shrunk in fear when he looked at his father scowling at him.

"I-I'm sorry Daniel," Dean said to his brother before going back to finishing his meal. His twin brother silently chuckled at his brother's shame.

"Levi, language," Mikasa corrected, annoyed by her husband's use of bad language in front of the children. She did, however, appreciate how much time he spent looking after them. It wasn't easy for a mom to spend so much time away from her kids but knowing her husband was there for them kept her positive.

Levi then sighed before apologizing, "sorry honey." He did have a swearing problem that stemmed from way before they even got married. He then looked at the twins with a small smile, "hey guys, maybe after school we can play catch outside." His suggestion made the boys nod furiously in excitement.

"Say Levi," Mikasa started, catching his attention, "I wonder why Junior's taken such a long time to get up today."

Suddenly, the sound of rushed footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs from the next room.

A boy staggered into the room, panting as he dropped his bag onto the floor and slowly walked and took a seat at the table.  
"Junior, what took you so long, today?" Mikasa asked their eldest child.

The boy raised his blue eyes to meet his mother's silver ones. He then shook his head, gathering his thoughts as he ran his hand through his jet black hair, which was styled into a quiff. "Oh, I participated in a FIFA tournament and sort of lost track of time," he started in his semi deep voice, "I guess I overslept."

"You should really stop that," Mikasa started while examining him, "you get very little sleep these days and it isn't heathy for you. You've already grown into a big boy, I mean, you're even taller than your father and I don't want sleep deprivation to stop you from getting any taller," she pointed out as Levi rolled his eyes in the background, "If you keep this up, you'll develop bags under your eyes and then you'll end up looking even more like you father and trust me, you don't want that," she said, whispering the last part.

"Heh, okay mom," Junior chuckled before he started to dig into his meal.

"So…" Mikasa tried to start another conversation, "what plans do you have for today?"

"Oh, I was just planning on attending the science club meeting after class before heading out to the park for some LARPING," he said proudly. Despite looking like his father, he was more on the brains than brawn side.

"That sounds… fun," Mikasa tried to say with enthusiasm in hopes that her son would be happy.

"Tch!" Levi scoffed, catching everyone's attention, "you should've just joined Martial Arts or Football or something real. Not science club or whatever the hell LARPING is." He normally bashed his son for his decisions but then, he was Levi.

"Levi," Mikasa started when she noticed her son's gaze drop, "our son is… gifted-intellectually. That's why he's better off in the more academic clubs."

"Don't encourage him," her husband responded while sipping his tea with his unique style. He hadn't noticed that the younger children were secretly imitating him, "keep that up or you'll raise a pathetic loser that still lives with his parent after college."

Before Mikasa could respond, the sound of a school bus honking could be heard from outside, "bye mom and dad!" the twins said as they ran outside, grabbing their bags on their way out.

Mikasa watched as Junior sighed before getting up. He had a scowl that was reminiscent of his father's in his current emotional state. He then let out a quiet 'bye mom' before walking out.

"Levi, why do you always bash him like that?" she asked while shooting a glare at him. He didn't even bother to respond to her question as he gathered the plates to put them in the dishwasher. She then proceeded to ask again, "Levi, you're only quiet because you know I'm right."

"I just don't get that kid," Levi finally responded as he started to wipe the surfaces. "I don't understand why the only child that looks like me and has my exact name is ironically my polar opposite." He then sighed before attending to the sink.

Mikasa then felt a wave of compassion pass through him. She knew that her husband was a normally grouchy person but he still had a soft side. She opened her mouth but before her voice could escape her mouth, her phone buzzed. She checked the clock and it was time for her to leave, "I'm leaving now," she said before walking up to him and kissing his cheek. She then kissed Marie's forehead before walking, "bye!"

"Bye," both Levi and their daughter responded as she closed the door behind them.

Levi then smiled before picking up his only daughter, "how about I give bath and let you watch TV while I bathe and clean the house?" he asked as the little girl nodded excitedly, "after that, you and I can go to the park."

Mikasa hummed along to the radio in the police cruiser she always drove to work. After leaving the military, she decided to join the police force as a patrol officer. If she wanted, she would have gotten a higher post but something about driving around with her partner was refreshing for her.

Her car came to a stop outside the police station. She stepped out of the vehicle and locked it before walking into the building. The smell of coffee was the first thing that caught her nose as she walked into the generic offices to check in. she walked through the room, occasionally passing a good morning here and there.

As soon as she checked in, she decided to check on one of her old friends, who was busy at his desk. She walked up to the blonde male and decided to let out a greeting, "Hey Armin."

Armin looked away from his screen and smiled at the woman before him, "Hey Mikasa, how's the morning treating you?" he asked before sipping his coffee, "and how's the family."  
"Oh, the morning's great and the family's the same as usual," she sighed as she said this. She really loved her family but they had their moments.

"I don't know how you do it, Mikasa," Armin said, "you have four kids and yet you still look as pretty as you were when you were single. What is your secret? Maybe I might let my future wife in on it," he chuckled.

"I just eat healthy and work out regularly," she responded before her eyes began to wander around looking for a particular brunette. He was her partner and she needed him so they could get patrolling.

Armin then realised what, or rather, who she was looking for. He then sighed before giving smiling at her, "He hasn't yet arrived."

And as if on cue, the sound of fast moving footsteps and apologetic shouts could be heard as the brunette rushed to check in. He gave a sigh as he checked in. he then glanced and waved at his comrades before walking over to them, "Man, I overslept," he groaned.

"Of course you did, Eren," Armin responded before turning back to his computer, "I have to get back to work, so I'll see you guys later."

"Maybe you shouldn't be spending all night playing videogames, you'd be early for once," Mikasa commented, "I wonder how Historia handles you."

"Jeez…you sound like mom. Let's go," Eren said before dragging Mikasa outside the building and towards the cruiser. They stopped and Eren waited for Mikasa's response and as usual, she was lost in thought, "Am I driving or what?"

"Oh, right," Mikasa said before opening the vehicle and hopping into the driver's seat with Eren in the passenger seat. She turned the key and the engine hummed to life. The radio then went on, "There is a report about a 501 not so far from your unit—over."

"We'll get there as soon as possible—over," Eren said before looking at Mikasa and both nodding. Their day had just begun.

"I spy with my little eye… something green," Marie said as she walked down the sidewalk while holding her father's hand. She was in a little pink sun dress and white sandals. They were on their way to the park and decided to play a little 'I Spy'

Levi knew exactly what she was talking about but decided to play dumb, "is it… the trees?" he asked as she shook her head. "Is it daddy's shirt?" he asked as he wore a dark green shirt over black jeans and back shoes. Once again, the little girl shook her head. "Is it… that flower shop?" he asked while pointing at said shop. The younger girl grunted in annoyance while shaking her head.

"No daddy, it's the grass," she said before sighing and face-palming, "why am I the smart one here?" she dramatically asked as her father smiled down at her. Eventually, they had reached the park and she made a run for the playground.

Levi grunted before stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking towards one of the benches near the playground. He was just going to watch her play while he enjoyed the outdoors. As he approached it, he saw a familiar person seated on the bench. He was neatly dressed in a blue shirt and khaki pants with well combed blonde hair. His eyes were fixated on a book he was reading.

"Commander Erwin. I didn't expect to see you in town," Levi said as he caught the man's attention. The blonde man smiled before getting up and sharing a salute with him. They then both sat down.

"Captain Levi, it sure has been a while," he said as he rested the book on his lap. He then glanced at the children playing, "I take it you're out here with your little daughter?"  
The shorter man nodded in response before speaking, "aren't you supposed to be away at war or something? You're a Commander."

"Ever since Marie and I divorced, she has been giving me hell about our daughter," he started before sighing, "She's always telling me that I'm being a deadbeat for always being away and threatened to get orders preventing me from seeing her again so I decided to take leave to spend time with her for a few months."

"Why did that bitch make a big deal about you rarely being available?" Levi asked in annoyance at how inconsiderate man-kind could be, "doesn't she know you're a fucking soldier?" he then crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "Tch! Such people make me want to punch them."

"Calm down, Levi," Erwin said while trying to calm his long-time comrade down. He, like other people knew that being with him was no walk in the park but he was one of the few that learnt to live with it, "I'm actually glad I took this break because she seems very happy since she started staying with me. Heck, she's even enjoying the outdoors," he said while pointing at a blonde, teenage girl seated on the grass sketching on her sketch pad.

"Shouldn't she be at school?" Levi asked while looking at the girl. She recognised her as one of Junior's classmates and found it odd that she was in the park instead of learning.

"She refused to go today," Erwin explained, "she said something about bullies."

"Why don't you try to step in?"

"I tried but she begged me not to do anything and that she would be fine," Erwin said before looking a Levi, "I was thinking maybe your son could befriend her and maybe protect her from bullies. He is an Ackerman after all."

Levi then snorted, "that nerdy-ass brat, couldn't even fight his way out of a paper bag. I doubt he would help your daughter." He then remembered, "Last time I checked, she's a pretty tough girl. Why would she be bullied?"

"Irene can sometimes be shy and she tells me that her eyebrows are a target for bullies. So she usually keeps to herself at school," Erwin explained before furrowing his own brows, "my eyebrows aren't funny looking are they?"

"I won't answer your question."

"Fine then," Erwin sighed before changing the person of discussion, "back to your son, don't under-estimate him. He just hasn't unlocked that mysterious power your family has that makes you so tough."

"As long as he keeps on LARP-whatever, there's no way he'll get far," Mr. Ackerman declared confidently before remembering, "Oh, Erwin, I had a monster dream again."

The blonde man's eyebrows raised with interest as he looked at his comrade, "Really?"

"Yep," he nodded calmly, "I was leading a squad through a battle and once the fight was over, a monster came and devoured all of us."

Erwin placed his thumb and index finger under his chin before he began to contemplate, "what if these aren't just dreams but visions of a future?" he asked as the shorter man looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you fucking serious?" Levi asked in disbelief that the man he held respect for would think in those lines, "did that idiot, Hange, pollute your mind?"

"Actually, I believe her theories aren't always wrong. I believe these monsters, or as we of the fort call them, titans, exist," Erwin said calmly, "She has been studying the possibility of titan existence and currently has hold of some incriminating evidence back at the fort."

Levi looked at the blonde in disbelief. How could someone as smart as Erwin believe in something so unrealistic, "Erwin, has your ex-wife been poisoning you or something?" he asked, "because you sound like a total idiot. Hange is conspiracy theorist that lives with a whole lot of other theorists."

Erwin only shook his head, "Levi, I think you should visit me at the fort and then I can show you what I'm talking about."

"I'm not showing my face at this 'fort' shit you speak of. There's no way a bunch of nightmares could be true," he scoffed before glancing back at his daughter who giggled as she played with some other children, "I'm a much happier man with my family and I'm not going to let some stupid conspiracy make me paranoid."

"Okay Levi," Erwin said before standing and dusting himself off, "I'm leaving. I need to order takeout for Irene and I," he said before calling out to his daughter, "Irene! It's time to go." The blonde girl closed her sketchbook and jogged over to her father. She looked much like him as she had his eyes and signature eyebrows. Erwin and his daughter dismissed themselves before leaving the veteran on his own.

Levi looked back at his daughter. She looked so happy out there. Her smile always brought so much warmth to his cold personality. All he ever wanted was to live the rest of his life happily ever after, watching all of his kids grow up and explore the world. He didn't care that his leg injury put him out of commission, that wasn't what mattered.

He closed his eyes and began to day-dream, imagining how his mother would react if she could see him now. "I wish you were here to see this," he muttered to himself. It was peaceful until the ground started to vibrate. He opened his eyes and brushed it off as an illusion. The ground vibrated again and he realised he wasn't dreaming when he noticed other people looking around.

The sound of screaming could be heard in the distance as the vibrations intensified and a tall figure approached the park. Levi couldn't believe it. his dream was coming true. The figure that turned out to have a humanoid form like the one in his dream. It stood taller than most buildings.

The figure let out a piercing shriek as it barred its teeth and looked at the park goers hungrily. Levi felt his heart drop as he stared at it in horror. He then remembered his daughter and quickly leapt into action.

As the monster started to advance at people, Levi managed to snatch his daughter away from the swing set, "daddy, what is that?" she asked as she looked at the monster over his shoulder.

"I don't know kiddo," he responded as he made his way over to the side walk. His only goal was to get his family to safety. The younger continued to bombard him with questions before she went silent all of a sudden her body had stiffened and her heart pounded, "Marie, is everything alright?" He asked in hopes that she was alright but when he got no response he began to worry.

"You still have that old thing?" Eren asked while looking at his partner with an amused look.

Mikasa smiled as she clutched the red scarf wrapped around her neck. She pulled it upwards to hide the small blush that was forming on her cheeks, "how could I get rid of something that means so much to me?"

"Heh, typical Mikasa," he chuckled before letting out a depressed sigh, "Mikasa, I have something to tell you." He looked depressed as though he was bothered for years. Mikasa was raised by his parents so they were practically like siblings at this point.

"What is it, Eren?" she asked before briefly glancing at him. She had to keep her eyes on the road.

"Historia and I might get divorced," he said, his voice sounded bitter and angry but all his other features showed sadness.

"What? Why?" she asked with concern for her dear friend evident in her voice. Eren and Historia only recently got married and their relationship had already started crumbling.

"We've been fighting a lot lately and her ex-girlfriend, Ymir, has been feeding her mind with all sorts of bullshit," he complained before clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, "Ymir's been trying to end us ever since the wedding. I don't get why she can't just accept that they're over."

"Hey Eren, why don't you end your shift early today," Mikasa suggested as she felt he needed a break.

"No, that wouldn't be fair on your behalf."

"It wouldn't be fair on your behalf because you'd be forced to work under stress," she then rested a hand on his shoulder, "Eren, you should really get home and rest. I'll pass by your place tonight so we can talk about things. You know me very well; I can handle this on my own."

Eren sat in silence as though making a very tough decision. He then sighed before nodding, "okay, you can just drop me off here," he said as he pointed at a nearby fast food joint. He always like to drown his sadness with a good meal, "I'll catch a cab later."

Mikasa slowed down the vehicle and let her partner out. She decided it was for the best he rested up. They waved each other off and she began to drive off again. As soon as she hit the road, the radio went off, "All units are expected to go to the park. There are reports of a…giant—monster," the person said with doubt.

Mikasa turned on the siren and began to make her way towards the park. A giant monster, that didn't make any sense. She then remembered that Levi often took Marie to the park. She hoped they were fine.

The car sped through traffic alongside other cruisers. As she got closer, she could feel vibrations in the ground. It didn't feel like any tremor she'd experienced. Eventually, she arrived at the park and saw a large humanoid figure being attacked by the police. They shot at it continuously but to no avail. The monster only took minimal damage and only roared before grabbing an officer and swallowing him.

Mikasa felt herself freeze in her seat. She didn't know why she failed to leave the car. Perhaps it was fear but she has never been petrified before. She continued to watch in horror as the cops were devoured one by one. They didn't stand a chance. Suddenly, the supervising officer yelled, "All of you! Retreat! Make sure your loved ones are safe before it catches you!" he was then swallowed by the beast.

Mikasa gasped before ramming the accelerator with her foot and the car sped off. She had to get home. That was all that mattered at this point. Other police cars were also trying to leave the area and there was a huge traffic jam. Mikasa honked her horn impatiently, this was not looking good.

The sound of the monster's roar could be heard as it's footsteps approached the road. Mikasa couldn't wait any longer so she stepped out of her car and began to make a run for it.  
She swiftly dashed through the crowd of people. Hopping over some of them and taking a few detours. She had to get home.

Eventually, she ran into her neighbourhood and saw her house not too far from her. She could hear the noise coming from town and as a police officer, it hurt her that she was afraid. Who came into her mind next was Eren. She hoped he arrived home safely.

She ran into her house her house and slammed the door behind her. All she wanted was to see if her family was alright, "Is everyone home?" she asked as she panted heavily. Her eyes darted around as she heard the echo but no response. Her heart began to pound as she started to walk, "Kids!"

"Mom," the twins said before running towards her and hugging her.

"I'm glad you're alright," Mikasa sobbed while hugging them tightly. She then asked, "where's everyone else?"

"Dad and Junior are boarding up the windows," Daniel explained while Dean wiped her eyes, "Marie is napping in her room."

"Oh thank goodness," Mikasa sighed before releasing her children from hug. She then thought about something, "why don't you two go help your father and brother while I unwind a bit?"

The twins nodded before running off, leaving Mikasa to plop onto the couch. She turned on the TV and could see that there was a news broadcast on the same issue.  
"Could this be some sort of apocalypse?" the reporter asked.

"I'm glad you made in one piece," Levi's voice caught her attention as he took a seat next to her on the couch.

Mikasa couldn't help but throw herself at him for a hug. "You too," she responded as they embraced with her resting her chin on his shoulder and vice-versa, "I was praying none of you got eaten by the monster."

Levi sighed as he rubbed her back, "actually Mikasa, there's something I need to tell you about that monster."

"What is it?"

"The nightmares I've been having all feature the same type of monster you saw," Levi explained, "when I told Erwin about it, he suggested it was prophetic or some shit like that but I just blew him off as being a believer of conspiracy."

"And your dreams did turn out to be prophetic," she said before pulling out of the hug to look at him, "but then, where did it come from?"

"One can only wonder at this point," Levi responded before saying, "what we can do for now is prepare the house. We don't know how long we'll be here but for the meantime, let's board up the house."

As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. They shared a look before he looked at the caller and found that it was Erwin. He then answered and put it to his ear.

Levi: Erwin?

Erwin: Levi, I bet you don't think I'm crazy now, do you?

Levi: Is this why you called me? To prove how wrong I am? Well whoopty fuckin' do! Erwin, you were right.

Erwin: Calm down Levi… that isn't why I called.

Levi: what do you want?

Erwin: I need you to come over to the fort. There you and your family can be safe while we try to figure out the situation.

Levi: …fine, I'll think about it.

Erwin: just make the right choice.

Levi: Whatever, Commander.

Levi hung up the phone and turned to face his wife who looked at him with an amused face, "what?"

"You have the worst phone etiquette ever," she chucked before saying, "what's the matter anyway?"

"Erwin suggested we all go to the fort for shelter."

"Fort?" Mikasa asked in wonder. She had never heard of any nearby forts.

"There's a large fort on the outskirts of town," Levi explained, "truth is, these monsters or rather 'titans' as they're also called have been a belief of a group of individuals who all reside within said fort. It's been so prepared that it even has some impenetrable wall guarding it."

"Wow, they prepared for this day," Mikasa said as she leaned against his chest, "what do you think?"

"I don't think it's necessary for us. I bet the only people we'll meet are a bunch of weirdos. I don't want to go," he declared while stroking her hair, "we can make it out on our own."

"Maybe we should go," Mikasa said from her position, "even if you don't like the idea, I feel we should go so we're sure there's a chance of the kids being safe."

Levi thought for a moment. He didn't want to live in some fort with a bunch of strangers but then, Mikasa was right. Their kids' safety was what mattered the most, "fine, we'll go."  
Mikasa smiled when he made his decision, "when are we going then?"

"I don't know…" he started but then he felt the ground vibrate. He shared a horrified glance with his wife. The beast must have been close by. They then stood from their seat, "let's get the kids. We're leaving right now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief, but eventful escape to safety.

"Boys, come on!" Levi yelled as he stood by the door. The monster had wandered right into their neighbourhood and it was time for them to leave.  
The boys came rushing downstairs in a stumbling mess as they couldn't help but bump into each other on the way down. They walked out the door and rushed over to the silver Ford Ranger where their mother and younger sister waited.

"Buckle up guys," Mikasa said as they buckled up. She still had to make sure car safety procedures were followed. Suddenly, Junior cursed, "what's wrong?" she asked as she noticed him unbuckling his seat belt.

"I forgot my laptop," he said as he opened the door.

"Junior wait, is it really that necessary?" she asked as they were running out of time.

"Don't worry mom. I'll be back in a jiffy," he said before stepping out of the car and jogging back to the entrance where he was stopped by his father.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Levi asked while blocking his son's path.

"I just need to get my laptop," Junior said while trying to walk past him but Levi still blocked him.

"Tch! You, idiot. there's no time for that you should've taken it when you took your clothes," Levi growled in annoyance why pushing him back, "get back to the car."

"But dad, all my important stuff is on there," he said while trying to push past him again but was blocked. Despite being shorter, Levi was still superior in terms of strength.  
"Guys, hurry up!" Mikasa popped her head out of the car window.

"There's no way I'm going to let you delay us because of some stupid video game," Levi said, "when we get where we're going, you'll be better off without your laptop so you can finally make some real friends. Now let's go!"

"But dad…" he said before he noticed his father glaring at him. His father was quite an adamant person and he knew he wouldn't change his mind. He then grunted before running towards the vehicle and sat inside.

"Did you manage to get it?" Mikasa asked her son who only shook his head. She then sighed before putting her hand on his knee, "Dad, didn't let you?"

"Yes," Junior responded before the driver's door opened and Levi got in.

"Everyone get ready, this might be a bumpy ride," Levi said before starting the engine and hitting the accelerator.

The Ford drove down the streets, on its way to their destination, "You know where the place is?" Mikasa asked as he drove. He nodded in response before pointing at the GPS, "of course…" she then looked at her daughter who had been seated quietly. She had this traumatised look on her face and it started to worry her, "sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked but the little girl didn't answer.

Levi then glanced at them for a moment, "when I was trying to leave the park with her, she got stiff all of a sudden," he explained, "I think she saw something because when I tried to talk to her at home, she was just nervously shaking while looking around so I had to put her to sleep."

Mikasa felt her heart almost break when she realised how traumatised her baby girl probably was. All she could do was hold her tight and kiss her fore head.

"Hey," Daniel started, "where are we going?"

"Somewhere you'll be safer," Levi responded as he drove.

The car sped as the sound of giant footsteps grew louder. Suddenly a shriek was heard and when everyone in the Ackerman vehicle looked, they saw another humanoid figure. This was one was slightly larger than the other one and had blonde hair unlike the other's brown hair. The figure noticed the vehicle and began to walk towards it, sporting a huge grin.  
"Shit! It can see us," Levi said before increasing the speed and jetting across the road. The beast was gaining on them.

Marie started to cry as her mother stroked her, trying to calm her down. The twins started panicking as they held each other closely. Junior was just in his own world.

Levi could sense the fear of everyone in the car and this forced him to get determined. He wasn't going to let his family get eaten like everyone else. He was going to make sure they get to see many more years to come. The only thing that mattered to him was protecting every one of them.

He then took a sharp right and sped down the road, his only goal being the fort. Suddenly, the first monster hopped in front of them. "Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!" Levi grunted before slamming the accelerator harder.

"Levi, what are you doing?" Mikasa asked as they were headed right for the beast that started to reach out for them. Was he planning on killing them all?

The Ford, sped towards the monster with everyone nervously watching. Fortunately, the vehicle managed to knock the monster's hand away and sped in between its legs.

"Whoa…" the twins said in unison and awe. While their brother bitterly mumbled to himself about his laptop.

The monster had a tough time turning around but when it did, it started running after the car. Levi glanced in his rear view mirror and saw the beast speeding towards them. He grunted before increasing his speed. He was driving right towards a construction site. He swayed past many vehicles and the monster still set its eyes for his family.  
"Levi, what are you doing?" Mikasa asked in worry as he was going too fast. She held onto her daughter tightly.

"Remembering the physics I learnt from my shitty high school," he grunted as the vehicle moved towards the site. Once he was a few metres away, he took a sharp left. Normally a car would flip over after turning so sharply at high speed but Levi never ceased to shock people when the car smoothly turned and sped in the new direction.  
Due to momentum, the titan crashed into the site and the incomplete building crumbled all over it, immobilizing it.

"That was fucking awesome!" the twins shouted in excitement.

Mikasa felt her motherly instinct step in and she snapped, "boys, you can't say bad words like that!" the boys then quieted down before Dean spoke.  
"But daddy talks like that," he pointed out, "so why can't we?"

Mikasa shifted her gaze over to her husband who was trying his best not to smirk. He was failing miserably, "what have I told you about cursing in front of the children?"  
Her husband only chuckled as he kept his eyes on the road, "We'll talk later, I'm trying to keep my eyes on the road," he said before glancing at her.

Mikasa only sighed as she leaned back into the chair. She sure did have one unique family.

The car continued to speed down the roads until the larger monster's foot stepped onto the road. "Ugh, doesn't this guy know that jay walking is illegal?" Levi groaned as the twins chuckled and Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"Wow, now you're making jokes?" she asked as the car went off road and they were driving on some grass.

Levi sped over the grassy meadows as they left the city. With the monster terrorising it. They had finally escaped its clutches and were on their way to seek refuge. In the distance, a large wall started to come into view. They arrived.

Everyone in the car went silent as they looked at the wall getting bigger. It was massive; about 50 metres. They drove towards a gate where two guards stood, dressed in black uniforms with grey utility vests. On their waists they had two large cases holding what appeared to be swords and gas canisters accompanying them.

The guards walked over and peeked into the car, "what do you want?" one of them asked while looking at everyone in the vehicle.

"What do you…" Levi was about to insult him before his wife covered his mouth. He was about to remove it but stayed silent when she glared at him.

"Sorry sir, we just came here for refuge. Our town is being destroyed by monsters," she explained as before the guard inspected the vehicle and waved at his colleague to open the gates. He then nodded the vehicle before it drove in. "you don't always have to be mean; you know?"

Levi only grunted as the vehicle entered. The interior looked a lot like a small town with some shops here and there. A few cars moving around the streets as some people walked around.

They could also spot a few crop fields where farmers worked and a few animals flocked. Several children ran around playing with each other and running away from some of the guards. The place looked like your regular semi-rural town with a few shops and traders all over the place where people walked about minding their business.

This was going to be their new home from now on. All the memories they had in their home in the city were left behind for this little town.

The vehicle came to a stop outside a building labelled city hall. The family stepped out of the car.

"Hey dad," Dean was the first to speak, "can Danny and I go play? We won't go too far." They had caught sight of the group of children playing in the nearby park.  
Levi thought about it for a moment before nodding and the boys jetted off. They then proceeded to enter the building where they were met with a loud greeting.

"Well if it ain't old Levi Ackerman!" a familiar female voice called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Ackermans made it safely to the Fort. What happens next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right when Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman thought they were about to settle down and move on with life in the new fort, they're asked to get back on duty and join the fight against the titans. Meanwhile, someone else is already making alliances.

"Hange Zoe," Levi said as the woman rushed over and hugged him. He couldn't help but groan because of how bad she smelt to him. She then pulled out of the hug and looked at Mikasa, Junior, and Marie.

"Mikasa Ackerman in the flesh," Hange greeted while saluting her. Mikasa couldn't return it because she had Marie in her hands but she still regarded her with a smile. "I was once a soldier like you and I was used together with Levi but I decided to quit in order to pursue science." She then looked at the children, "and this must be the new Levi Squad."  
Hange sure was quite the eccentric person. Judging by the way she closely examined them. She then spoke up, "you know, judging by how much power you both have, I expected you to have like ten kids by now."

"Tch! There's actually two more of them," Levi scoffed before grabbing Hange by the collar, "Erwin advised me to come here to settle after this crazy monster shit happened. Where is he?" Hange had known Levi from the beginning and knew how aggressive he could be but that never frightened her.

Hange escaped his grasp and dusted herself off. She was in a black long-sleeved crew-neck under a grey utility vest and grey camouflage pants. On her waist were the same contraptions much like the guards except she had a pair of visors on face. "Commander Erwin is in his office. I can take you to him," she offered before looking at their son, "meanwhile, he can wait in the nearby cafeteria."

The couple nodded before their son understood and walked off. They then proceeded to follow Hange deeper into the building. It had the setup of a regular city hall with a bunch of offices and people moving up and about with piles of paper.

Eventually, they stopped outside a door that read, "Commander Erwin" Hange then knocked a few times before a voice called from the inside signalling them to enter. Hange opened the door to reveal the blonde gentlemen seated at a desk. He then stood to greet them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman," Erwin said as he offered them a seat which they took. Hange then went to lean against the wall. "I'm glad you could make it," Erwin said calmly.  
"Yeah, it was a crazy drive but we're still kicking," Levi said before he noticed, "I'm guessing you're the top dog around here, judging by the fact that you have your own office."  
"Not exactly. The town has official leaders but I still am a military official," he explained before interlocking his fingers and starting, "you finally saw them with your own eyes."

"Yeah, those monsters almost killed us on our way here," Levi commented. With a scowl, "can't believe you were right."

Hange was the next to speak, "Those creatures aren't monsters," she said with sympathy, "they're just large human-looking creatures that don't even think as far as I know…for now. I prefer to call them… titans—yeah, that's a suitable name."

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes before looking back at Erwin, "so when do we get our own place so we can settle down already?" he asked, hoping they could go back to their normal lives.

Erwin then shook his head, "actually there's room for you in the barracks." He looked at the shorter man who glared back at him.

"I'm done with military work," Levi said very sternly, "how many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Levi. Now that the Titans have proven to be real, we can't just settle down like we always have," Erwin said with his default expressionless face.

"Yeah," Hange added from where she stood, "my lookouts said that even more titans have started to show up in town. They're eating every person on sight."

"Yeah so…" Levi started, "this fort is supposed to keep us safe from them right? Then why can't we just live on like we used to when we thought they never existed?" Levi persisted.  
Erwin then stood from his seat, "let's take a look outside," he suggested as he walked towards the door. He was intent on showing Levi instead of just talking about it. Everyone left the room with him. They all walked through the busy workspace until they stepped out.

People were moving all over the place with more cars entering and people being ushered in by security guards. "This is more crowded that I remember," Levi said while looking around along with his wife who was holding their now sleeping daughter.

"This is exactly why I need you back on the force," Erwin started, "before the titan reared its face, we were just a small community that lived under the security of the walls, expecting that one day, man-kind would face its first threat. We began to work on ways to sustain ourselves like farming and building shelters and workspaces."  
"So, you're just like those assholes from Doomsday Preppers?" he asked with a bored expression on his face.

"Precisely," Hange added. She then glanced at Erwin as though asking for permission to complete and he nodded, "now that a lot of people have come to live in the fort, resources won't last forever. That's why we need to create a team of soldiers that can combat the titans in order for us to try and take back the city." She then put her hands on his shoulders, "we need your help training the soldiers."

Mikasa silently watched her husband. Despite having his default expression, she knew he was processing it. In her opinion, it seemed like a fair idea. Getting back her home would be great. Though, the town did look quite peaceful. She heard a little moan escape her daughter as she slept on her. She still hadn't said a word to anyone. It was heart-breaking to see her like that.

"I don't know Erwin…" Levi started before Mikasa cut in.

"Levi, I think it's a noble cause," she said, finally offering her input. "this could help a lot of people get back their homes. It can even help stranded survivors if there are any." She hoped her reasoning would help change his mind.

"What about my leg. It was the reason I left the military," Levi tried to defend, "I can't do much anymore."

"Levi, you work out more than any of the guys at the gym," his wife exposed him. "seriously, this is when you want to be honest about the reason for your dismissal?"  
"But the kids will need to be looked after. Who's going to clean the house?" he tried again, this time he made eye contact with her but no way in hell could he ever make a face that could ignite sympathy in anyone. he just looked as cold as usual.

"Levi, you act like such a Karen sometimes," Mikasa pointed out before poking at his toned chest, "I can look after the home just as much as you can. You should join the military and help out. I'll look after everyone. Quit making excuses." She hoped this would change his mind.

"Actually Mrs. Ackerman," Erwin started while looking down at her, "we need you in the force as well. You were known for your exceptional skills while you were serving duty and we believe that would be high value to the little army we wish to form."

"Yeah, and don't worry about your mini Levi squad," Hange butt in while throwing her arm over Mikasa's shoulder, "there's a day care near the barracks so while you're busy, the kids can be watched over until 5PM if you like."

Mikasa began to think. It was a great deal actually. Maybe if she agreed, Levi would be willing to do it as well. "I'll do it," Mikasa said. Everyone then turned to face the shortest among them. All were expecting his answer.

Levi finally groaned, "fine, I'll do it," he agreed before Mikasa ruffled his hair ignoring the mumbles of protest. She knew he hated that but still did it anyways.

"Excellent. I'm glad to have you on the force again," Erwin said with his smile.

"Fuck you," the shorter man grumbled before he was nudged in the ribcage.

"Now, Levi, do you remember how to use an ODM gear?" Erwin asked.

How could he forget? that's what he used to use to avoid police back when he was still a gangbanger in the streets of the darker side of Sina Town, also known as the Underground. Though no time for backstories, "I do remember." Was all he responded.

"ODM gear?" Mikasa asked. She had never heard of such an equipment. Was it some new military weapon?  
"Let's go to the labs," Hange said before leading them away.

Junior made his way around the cafeteria still bitterly mumbling about his laptop. It had a lot of his work on it including college essays and his game data. It was his life right after his phone and before his console. He then remembered the reason why he didn't have it, "ugh, stupid little man," he grumbled before walking up to a table where a blonde girl sat, sketching something. She hadn't noticed him standing there.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, causing her to raise her blue eyes and look at him. They had a short staring contest before he decided to break the silence, "I-Is anyone seated here?"  
The girl quickly shook her head before Junior too a seat. She continued to sketch while occasionally sneaking glances at him.

Junior sat there watching her. He could tell that she was painfully shy and barely had any friends. Away from that, he still didn't have his laptop and it made him mad. He now felt like venting out to someone, "hey, have you ever been so angry at someone before?"

The girl lowered the sketch pad, revealing a pretty face, "well, not really." Was all she said in response.

Junior then had a sight blush before saying, "I'm Levi Ackerman Jr.—but most people just call me Junior," he said while stretching out his hand and she shook it.  
"I'm Irene Smith. Nice to meet you," she flashed him a simple but cute smile before their hands separated.

"Nice to meet you too."

"… why don't you tell me what's bothering you?" she asked. A few moments ago she was some shy kid but now she led the conversation like she was some natural leader.  
"Well, when my family was about to leave for here, I forgot my laptop and decided to go retrieve it but then some dwarf just wouldn't let me through. Doesn't he know how much valuable information is in a laptop?" he explained with the frustration evident in his tone.

Irene had to admit, this boy seemed like a total moody nerd but then, Erwin had told her to make friends. "So… where did you leave it?" she asked, in order to keep the conversation going, "hah, it's funny that I'm asking after all, it's not like you'll go back to get it anyway," she chuckled while scratching her head. She quieted down when she realised that she was the only one laughing. She then looked at him and noticed him sitting there contemplatively. He wasn't actually considering it, was he?

"You know what," he started. He had a mischievous look in his eyes, "I think you have an idea, Irene. I'll go get my laptop back."

"Whoa," she panicked. She didn't mean to encourage something like this, "that's crazy, you'll get eaten by the titans out there."

Junior raised his eyebrows at the name they were given but smirked while crossing his arms, "please, there's only like, two of those titans out there so I bet we could totally go there unnoticed," he started as Irene question the use of 'we', "plus, I'm a smart kid. If anything goes wrong, we could totally outsmart those jackasses."

Irene had to admit, he had a cute smirk and it made her blush a little. She still had to question him, "wait, we?"

"Yes, we," he confirmed while looking back at her, "I can't go back on my own and I know my parents would freak out at me if I asked. Therefore, you will be my escort." He smiled so much that most people would fail to believe he was Levi's child but then, he got his smile from his mother.

Irene looked at him. A large part of her was yelling at her to deny while a smaller part was begging her to agree. "Okay, Levi, I'll go with you."

"Thanks," he said nervously before looking down at the table. Did she make him nervous?"

"Did I say anything?" Irene asked before he shook his head.

"No, it's just that…" he started before lifting his eyes to meet hers, "no one ever agrees to my ideas. I really appreciate you… I mean it."

The two sat in silence before the doors to the cafeteria opened, revealing a security guard, "Attention everyone!" he yelled, causing the whole place to go silent, "if there are any volunteers that are willing to fight the titans, report to the park tomorrow at noon. Commander Smith would like to address you all. All those that have even minimal combat ability are encouraged to attend." He then mumbled something about low pay before walking out and the cafeteria went back to being noisy.

"Who the hell's stupid enough to fight those things?" Junior asked before looking at Irene, who looked enthusiastic, "wait, you'd like to?"

The blonde girl nodded enthusiastically, "I've always wanted to be in the military like my dad. I bet he'll be excited when I tell him." She said that with so much excitement, Junior found it ridiculous, "we should join together. Don't you think?"

Junior was at a loss for words. He found it stupid but then, Irene agreed to escort him back to town. He may as well pay her back, "I'll do it," he said before she squealed. This was getting crazy but she still looked cute. He decided to change the topics, "you live here and like to draw right?"

"Yes, to both of them," she nodded before looking at him curiously, "why?"

"I was thinking you could give me a little tour while you show me some of your work."

"Hey kiddo, why don't I tell you a little story?" Levi asked his daughter as they sat on his and Mikasa's bed. Levi was already established as a Captain and hence got a personal room hat he shared with his wife instead of sleeping in the boys' dormitories. It was a pretty nice room with a desk, bathroom, and a bookshelf. Of course when they were given the room, he went into cleaning mode and made it spotless. Even though he agreed to re-joining the force, there was no way he would live in a dirty environment.

Marie still hadn't spoken since they had gotten there and it was worrying her parents. Maybe that's an exaggeration. Marie hadn't spoken unless to ask about the bathroom and it was worrying her parents. Their normally jolly bundle of joy was now quiet with a miserable look on her cute face. He sighed before asking, "Marie, what's wrong? You still haven't spoken to mommy and I."

The girl stayed silent as the door to his office swung open, revealing his wife who walked in and joined them on the bed. She saw her depressed daughter and looked back at her husband, "did she say anything?" she asked to which he shook his head.

"I've never seen her so sad before," Levi started, "she even refused to eat dinner." He then felt an aching sensation in his chest as he began to drown in thoughts.

Mikasa also started to think a lot while looking at the young girl. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes sting. Her breathing started to destabilise.

Levi noticed and pulled her into an embrace, "I know how painful it is to see her like this but if we let ourselves get depressed too…" he started before taking a deep breath, "we may never help her smile. Let's be strong for not only her, but for all our kids." The two then sat in silence, stroking each other's backs for comfort.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing the twins, "mom, dad?" Daniel started before the adults separated.

"What is it, boys?" Mikasa asked while looking at them, masking her previously emotional state.

"Are the older boys making fun of your 'jamies'?" Levi asked while putting emphasis on the last word, mockery evident in his tone.  
"Junior's missing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was Chapter 3 and I really hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to hear what you've got to say about it all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a man's gotta do for his brat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I hope you enjoy this little chapter. Normally I'd use line breaks for separation of scenes but like I said, I'm still getting the hang of this site, so I hope the changes in seen don't bother you guys. Enjoy!!!

"What do you mean he's missing?" Levi asked as the boys walked towards them.

"We were about to sleep when we decided to look around for him," Daniel started, "We couldn't find him anywhere. Not in the bathrooms, the cafeteria and not anywhere we knew."

"Yeah and just so you know…" Dean added, "there's no way Danny and I will sleep in a room with old smelly paedophiles."

"Easy buddy. How do you even know what a paedophile is?" Mikasa said before looking at Levi, who was deep in thought, "do you have any clue as to where he may be?"  
Levi furrowed his brows as he tried to think. Where could his son be? He then remembered, "He asked for the car keys earlier. He said Erwin's brat was giving him a tour of the town."

"But he's never out this late," Mikasa said while looking at her wrist watch, "It's 11pm." The couple shared a brief look for a moment both were trying hard to think of where he could be. Mikasa was about to say something when she noticed Levi suddenly scowl, "I'm guessing you've figured it out."

"Tch! That idiot went back to get his laptop," he scoffed before getting up.

"Wait, what makes you so sure?" Mikasa asked as she watched him put his shoes on, "no normal person would willingly risk getting eaten by titans for something as trivial as a laptop."

"Last time I checked, Junior isn't a very normal person," Levi said while putting on a leather jacket. He then looked at twins, "you two should stay here with your mother and sister while I go get that idiot." He then looked at his wife, "I'll be back."

"Levi," Mikasa called before he left. He stopped in his tracks and turned to listen, "please bring him back safely."

"Don't worry," Levi assured, "Our little boy's coming back without a scratch."

Levi stepped out of his quarters and into the hallway. His first job was to find Erwin but where could he be? He then stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to make his way down the hall, occasionally glancing from left to right as he walked. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Hey Levi," Hange called as she jogged up to him. She smelt like sweat and her visor had some steam on it.

"Can I help you?" Levi asked as he continued to walk, now with her by his side, "you smell like shit."

"Never hurt to say hi," she sighed before looking down at him, "where are you going at this time of night?"

"My kid decided to sneak out," he groaned as he thought about the possibility of him really going back to the city. He shook his head before looking up at Hange, "have you seen Erwin anywhere?"

"Hm… I met him on my way to the bathroom. He was looking for Irene and was checking for her in the girls' dorm," she answered before pointing to the right, "it's down there."

"Let's go, then," he said before following her direction with her tagging along, "say how're Eld, Oluo, Petra, and Gunther doing?" his remembered his old squad members from his army days. Somehow, he had lost contact with them.

"Oh those guys huh," she said before trying to remember, "they're still kicking though I haven't really spoken to them in a while. They live at Fort Rose across the city."  
"Just how many of these stupid forts are there?"

"I don't think you have the right to call your current shelter stupid," she muttered under her breath before answering, "there's about three of them around Paradis City; Fort Maria, Sina and Rose."

"Which one is this one?"

"Fort Maria," she started but before she could add more information, they heard Erwin's voice.

"Why isn't she picking up?" Erwin asked as he leaned against the wall of the girls' dormitory. His looked at his phone with an expression showing disappointment and worry. He then noticed the two walking up to him, "Good evening."

"Erwin," Levi started as he looked up at the blonde man, "my brat is missing and I have a feeling he went back to the city."

"Coincidentally, Irene is missing too," Erwin added before putting his phone in his pocket, "do you think she could be with him?"  
"Well, they were together," the shorter man added before deciding, "we need to go back into town and get them."

Hange then got an excited look on her face, "great thing you brought that to my attention because I have some toys that need to be tested," she said with excitement before the men shared a look with each other.

"The city looks quite deserted. Those titans sure cleared the place." Irene said as she sat in the passenger seat of the Ford while Junior drove. The town looked pretty roughed up. Most lights were off and there were a lot of crushed buildings, vehicles and blood splatters all over the place but there were no people in sight. It was like it wasn't an overpopulated place.

"Yeah, they had one big lunch-slash-dinner," Junior responded before turning. He eyes glanced around to see if there was any danger present, "surprisingly, I haven't seen a titan since we got here." He then looked at Irene and noticed her absentmindedly staring out the window.

"Are you okay?" he asked, causing her to turn her head towards him.

"Oh, I just hope my dad's okay," she said while looking at him, "I didn't tell him I was sneaking out with a boy."

Junior had a blush on his face as he somehow managed to take the statement out of context. He then shook his head before sighing, "I bet my dad would be pissed if he found out about this. I bet he'd break my laptop in my face just to hurt my feelings when we get back," he groaned before the issue of sneaking out came back to mind, "but then… how does your dad feel about you having a boyfriend?"

Irene's face briefly flashed pink before she smirked at him, "why do you ask?"

"I-I was just curious," he stuttered while keeping his eyes on the road. Trying his best to avoid making eye contact.

"Well, he doesn't mind as long as the guy isn't afraid to meet him," she explained, "but the one time I did have a boyfriend over, he freaked out and ran off when he saw my dad," she then sighed with a smile, "I guess I won't have a boyfriend unless I meet someone who isn't afraid of my dad."

"I've seen your dad at parent-teacher conferences. He doesn't look that scary… from afar anyway," Junior muttered before stopping the car, "we're here," he said as they stopped outside the house, "is your phone off?"

"Yeah, I turned it off before we left," she said while showing him the phone.

"Great, we don't need to attract any unnecessary attention," he said before opening the door and hopping out as Irene mimicked him. He then locked the car and started to lead her into the house.

They entered the building and Junior ensured to lock the door behind them. He looked forward and saw Irene looking around.

"This is a nice place you got here," she said in admiration, "Ever since I started staying with my dad, all I've known are the barracks."

"Uh thanks," he said before pointing towards a different room, "you can get a drink from the kitchen while I go look for my laptop."

"What do you have?" she asked while looking straight at him. They happened to be the same height.

"I think there's soda pop in the fridge—that's if the twins didn't drink it before we left," he said before she started to walk towards the kitchen. He then decided to make his way upstairs and into his bedroom.

He opened the door and glanced around. It was as messy as usual, "I guess dad forgot to check my room today," he then looked for his laptop and there it was, resting on his desk like some collectible in a videogame.

He rushed towards the device and began to inspect it for any damage before showering it with kisses, "I missed you so much," he said as he held it close to his chest.  
"You're like every typical teenage boy on TV," Irene said from behind, forcing him to look back at her and found her looking at a magazine he swore he left under his pillow.

"Irene, please… for your own hygienic purposes, please put it down," he panicked as she slowly put it down.

She then glanced around the room and noticed all the fantasy gear he had. Robes, weapons and figurines, "you are such a nerd, Levi."

"Ugh, yeah, whatever," he rolled his eyes before grabbing the charger and stuffing it is his jumper pocket. He then held the laptop next to his chest, "let's get going. We weren't supposed to take too long here."

"Okay," she said as they left his bedroom and made their way towards the front door.

"Now, when we get back, you should say you were showing me some landmark," he said as he unlocked the door.

"Yeah… like the ponds," she said while trying to come up with something, "I could say we went for a swim."

"Uh… sure," he said before opening the door and they both froze at what they saw. There was a titan, seated right on top of the car and it seemed to have crushed the vehicle judging by the fact that the tires were lying flat right next to their original spots.

"Fuck…" Junior said before looking back at Irene who looked like her life was flashing before her eyes. she was gasping for air as her eyes widened. She then took a deep breath but before anything could come out, he covered up her mouth and took her back inside.

"Calm down Irene," Junior tried to coax the terrified girl into relaxing. He could feel her breath pushing against his palm. He could hear her mumbling, "I'm only going to remove my hand if you promise to be quiet." He still felt her mumbling, "do you promise to be quiet?" he asked before she nodded.

"What do we do, Levi?" Irene asked while panicking, "what if the titan eats us? I don't wanna leave my dad heart broken," she said.

"Calm down, Irene. We won't get eaten," Junior said before he started pacing. He began to think of possible ways to get back home, "If it's an hour drive then I think we could get there in a few hours on foot."

"Levi, we are so… not walking," Irene said, "we'll be eaten even before we leave town."  
"Well then, what do you suggest?"

Three motorcyclists drove through the moonless night on the dirt road leading to the city. one of the cyclists accelerated in front of the others leaving dust behind her, "what do you guys think of this stylish mode of transport?" Hange asked into her headset as she excitedly rode ahead of them.

"This isn't a bad choice," Erwin's voice responded as he rode on her back right, "it's unique, yes but I don't think this will be a suitable mode for soldiers. We'd be more like a biker gang."

"Don't worry, I'm working on everything. When the time for our first expedition comes, we'll be all set," she smirked before glancing at her back left and saw Levi looking a bit distraught, "You okay, Levi?"

"Huh?" he asked before shaking his head, "of course I'm not. You just blew fucking dust on me!" he cursed before sighing and looking at the city. That brat better be okay.

The bikes soon came to a stop outside the city entrance the city. "Aw, where are the titans?" Hange asked as she got off her bike and pouted while looking around. She anticipated seeing them in the city.

"Maybe they're asleep," Erwin suggested, hoping to humour the shorter two but to no avail. He then turned to Levi, "how far is your home from here?"

"About a thirty-minute drive from here," he estimated while looking down one of the roads.

"Hah! This will be a great opportunity to test out the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear" Hange with even more excitement before stroking the contraption hooked around her waist. She then turned to the males behind her, "I take it you guys remember how this works, right?" she asked before they nodded.

"I guess, I'll have to take the lead then," Levi said before firing the steel wires at a nearby building before jetting towards it with the other two following.  
As they glided through the air, they all couldn't help but enjoy the feel of the air on their faces. It was a thrilling experience.

Levi couldn't help but get a feeling of nostalgia as he flew past several buildings. It was exactly like in the Underground, except instead of running away from cops, he was flying alongside fellow former militant and a commander. Suddenly, an idea hit him, a trick he used to use back then.

He looked around before he saw what he was looking for, a glass building and it looked like most of the glass was already broken, perfect.

He then fired the hooks at said building and began to reel himself in at a fast rate using a lot of gas. Once he was close to the building, he disconnected the hooks and flew right through the opening. Because of how much force he propped himself with, he glided through the building and out of it before hooking onto another building.

"Way to be a total show off," Hange commented through the earpiece as she was flying right behind him.

"How Far, Levi?" Erwin asked.

Levi glanced at the ground before noticing his house, "we're actually not so far. It's below us."

The group eventually landed on the roof of the house opposite the Ackerman residence.

"Wow, swanky neighbourhood you lived in," Hange said while looking at the other houses. When she looked at Levi's house, her face lit up with excitement, "oh my gosh, a real life titan is right in front of your house!"

"Shut up, will ya?" he said as he looked where she was looking and saw the titan right in front of his house. He then took a closer look and saw four familiar tires beside it as well as some metal parts on the ground. His heart nearly stopped, "is that thing on my car?"

"Why isn't it moving?" she asked while flailing her hands in front of it, "hello… Mr. Titan!" she called but got no response. she then sighed before looking at Erwin, "perhaps you were right, Erwin. It is asleep."

"It's sleeping on my fucking car!" Levi shouted while grabbing his head, "my beautiful car!"

"Calm down Levi," Erwin said while looking down at him. "the more important thing is the children. They must be stranded without a means of getting back to the fort."  
"Fuck Junior, my car is wrecked!"

"Levi!" Erwin reprimanded with a firm tone and facial expression, forcing Levi to shut his mouth and mumble continuously. He then looked back at the house, "the fact that the titan seems unresponsive can be used to our advantage. We best try and act now before it's too late." He then hopped off the roof with the two following him closely.

Hange immediately walked over to the beast and began to examine it while taking pictures and taking notes on her phone, "you guys go in," she said while feeling the titan's flesh, "I've got work to do."

Erwin nodded before looking back at Levi, "I'd prefer you be the first to walk in," he said before the shorter man grunted and walked towards the entrance.

He twisted the knob and opened the door to the house. Both men entered the house and looked around. The lights were off so they pulled out their phone torches while Levi searched for the switch.

In a minute, the lights were on, revealing the living room but no teenagers, "Irene! Levi Jr.!" Erwin shouted but they got no response. The commander then looked at the veteran, "no response."

"I'm aware of that, dumbass," Levi grunted before he started to walk towards the staircase with Erwin in tow.

They both reached the upper floor and Erwin decided to call again, "is anyone here?" he asked and the door to Junior's bedroom opened revealing Irene who made a dash into her father's arms. The held each other in a tight embrace while Irene spouted a lot of things.

Levi then decided to storm into his son's room and found him seated on his bed with his beloved laptop on his lap. For a moment, he had a look of relief but that was easily taken over by an angry look.

"H-Hey, dad," Junior nervously greeted his father, who clearly wasn't happy to see him.

"Let's go," was all Levi said before his son shut his laptop and got to his feet with the device in his hands and followed the short man outside the room.

"You're a fascinating creature, aren't you?" Hange asked while stroking its side. The clouds then separated and moonlight penetrated and shone over the area, "good thing the moon is out so I can see you better…" Hange started before the beast began to stir until it shot up and off of the car. It stood straight before letting out a growl.

Hange took a few steps back. She was scared but mesmerised by it, "such a beautiful creature," she said before leaping backwards as it tried to grab her. It was awake but a bit slow.

"What's going on out here, Hange?" Erwin asked as everyone ran outside before seeing the monster turn to face them and charge after them, "take cover!" the commander ordered as everyone ran out of its path—except for Irene, who it caught and was raising to its mouth with her flailing.

"Dad!" she yelled as she screamed as it gave her a squeeze, forcing a bit of blood out of her.

Erwin's eyes narrowed before he latched onto the titan and launched himself at it. With a swift slash of the sword, the titan's arm was slashed off and went to the ground with Irene. Luckily, the arm cushioned her fall and Erwin quickly pried her out of its hand and lifted her bridal style. He looked at her, "are you okay?"

"Y-Yes," she responded while looking up at him.

Everyone then looked back at the titan that now had steam on its wound. Hange took a closer look and saw the skin repairing itself, "I think it's regenerating."

Erwin help his daughter back onto her feet before motioning her onto his back and she hopped on, "Alright, we need to get out of here now," Erwin said before readying his ODM Gear, "Let's move!"

"Hop on my back, idiot!" Levi ordered his son.

"W-Wait, wha…ow!" Junior started before he was kneed to the crotch and was forced onto his father's back.

"Hold on tight," Levi said before they jetted after the others with the Titan in tow.

As they soared through the air, they heard a lot of roaring from the ground and when they checked, about twenty more titans had joined the original two.

"Whoa, that's a lot of titans!" Hange yelled in awe as she flew ahead of everyone, "that means there's probably different types to study."

"That also means, we have to get to the bikes before they do!" Erwin commented before asking, "can these things go any faster?"

"Yeah, just use more gas!" Hange responded before demonstrating and Erwin quickly followed behind. Leaving the Ackermans behind.

"Hey, dad. We've been left behind!" Junior pointed out.

"If you had quit eating those cheese sticks like I told you, we wouldn't have been!" Levi responded before latching onto another building and using a lot more gas.

Before he could change direction, a titan hopped into the air and spread out its hands. In a swift movement, Levi barely dodged it, sending them crashing onto one of the roofs.

Junior quickly sat up and glanced around. He then freaked out when he saw his laptop broken on the ground. He crawled towards it and looked at the pieces. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling and a titan hopped onto the roof and grinned at him hungrily. He felt his body freeze with fear."

"Ugh, fuck…" Levi grabbed his leg as he flinched in pain with his eyes shut. He hadn't felt that bad since the actual injury itself and it stung terribly. He grunted as he tried to ease the pain but to no avail. Suddenly he heard a cry.

"Dad, help!" Junior called.

The Veteran opened his eyes when he heard the cry, "Junior!" he shouted as he panicked with his eyes darting around. Finally, he saw his son as the titan loomed over him the fear in Junior's eyes sent rage through Levi's veins before he propelled himself towards the titan, "stay the fuck away from him!" he snarled before slicing off the titan's legs.

The titan lost balance on the slanted roof and soon it fell off, landing on smaller titans on the ground.

"Did he hurt you?" Levi asked. The concern was evident in his eyes as he examined him by checking his body.

"Yeah," he responded before his father helped him up, "but my laptop sure isn't."

"Ugh, let's go. That doesn't matter right now," Levi said before Junior got back onto his back and they were back into the air.

They landed back at the spot where the bikes were parked and found the others waiting for them. Erwin was the first to respond, "what was the hold up? We were getting worried about you."

"Please Erwin, calm down," Levi said, "if I was capable of dying, I'd have bitten the dust years ago," he said smugly before going to get on his bike, "Junior, come on!" he said before his son joined him on the bike.

"Alright then," Erwin said while also getting on the bike, "Let's go!" with that, the bikes were on the road once again. All of them had survived the titans first-hand and this was a new story to tell for Hange. She was ecstatic and was moving the fastest.

"You know, Junior," Levi started as they rode, "your mother and I were worried about you. She'll be as glad as I am that you're safe." His expression didn't seem to earn him a response so he quickly took a glance back at him and saw him staring into nothingness. He wore a depressed expression and Levi knew what was happening. That brat was still thinking about his laptop and he had enough of it.

"Tch!"

"Dad, what's wrong?" Junior asked after hearing the signature scoff.

"Erwin and I come all the way out here to save you guys' asses from a titan because you wanted your laptop, Irene almost got eaten, you almost got eaten and yet you're still thinking about your laptop!" he responded while keeping his eyes on the road. He didn't want to risk getting in any accidents.

"Wha-how-why are you getting angry at me for?" he asked as he clearly didn't understand how he was in the wrong. He just wanted back his property, "don't I have the right to get back what belongs to me?"

"Junior, you risked both Yours and Irene's lives in the name of getting back some cheap gadget. Junior are you aware of that?"

"Dad, you have no idea how much that laptop means to me!" he shouted, "you can't understand."

"And you can't understand how much Irene means to Erwin and how much you mean to me. Do you know how miserable Erwin and I would have felt if you guys didn't survive? Do you know what kind of impact that would've had on your mother?" he poured out the questions with a slight crack in his tone. He cleared his throat before continuing, "we've gone out of your way to raise you, yet you turned into such a materialistic brat!"

There was a tense silence that befell them. The only ambience being the sound of the engines roaring and Hange's occasional yells of excitement. Junior couldn't tell what was taking up more of his mind, the need to retort and what to actually say. Eventually, the words came.

"Well Excuse me!" he started, "none of this would've happened if you had just let me take it in the first place!" the younger Ackerman felt satisfied when he noticed his father flinch. He was about to say another thing when the motorcycle slowed to a stop, "dad?"

Ignoring his son, Levi triggered the earpiece, "Hange, please come back for a moment. I need to tell you something," was a he said before sighing and sitting in silence with his arms crossed.

A few minutes later, Hange's motorcycle came to a halt right next to Levi's, "Hey, what's up?" she asked while removing her visor.

"I need you to take Junior with you," Levi said in his usual tone, trying his best to seem normal but Hange saw through it.

"Are you okay, Levi?" she asked while resting her hand on his shoulder. From the time she spent with Levi on duty, she came to know him quite a bit. Including how he acts when he's upset, "you look tense."

Levi then removed her hand from his shoulder, "I'm fine Hange," he said while looking at her with his regular look, "I just want to make sure there are no titans that could've followed us. I just had a bad feeling and I need to clarify."

"Hmm…" she said skeptically before he scowled at her, "Okay, geez. Come on Levi No.2," she finally gave in.

"Dad, why…" Junior started before he was cut off.

"Junior, just get off the bike," he said as his son hesitantly got off and hopped onto the next bike.

"You all set?" Hange asked while looking at the boy who nodded. She then glanced at Levi one more time before starting up her bike and driving off.

Even as she drove, she still had an uneasy feeling and dared to glance at him through the mirror. The last thing she saw before she looked away was him kicking at the ground and falling onto his back in the distance.

Eventually, they did arrive back into the fort and both bikes parked outside the barracks. Junior stepped of the bike as Hange turned off the ignition.

The woman then turned to him, "do you know where the boys' dorms are? I could take you," she suggested.

"N-No, I'll wait for him," he declined before Hange wished him a goodnight and walked off. He then looked to his side and saw Erwin and Irene conversing about whether or not she would need to be in the infirmary. After a five-minute discussion, they came to an agreement.

"Um Levi," Erwin started while looking at the young man, "when your father gets back, tell him I'm sorry I couldn't wait. I need to take Irene to the infirmary."

"Okay Mr. Smith," Junior responded before the blondes walked off. Now that he took a good look at him, he understood why Irene's first boyfriend freaked out. He was a way… taller than him and he carried a very intimidating presence with him. He then sighed as he thought about his dad.

Guilt started to flood his mind when he processed everything Levi said to him. Come to think of it, he was being materialistic and he didn't even deserve to be saved. Even after being saved, he still gave his father a hard time. His head was getting clouded.

"Tch!" he scoffed before covering his mouth. He felt even worse because he realised how much he sounded like him.

About an hour and a half had passed and Junior had already started to doze off while leaning against the wall. The sound of an engine woke him up and he rubbed his eyes when he saw the last motorcycle roll up. He rose to his feet and waked towards the bike as Levi dismounted it, "Hey dad, I…"

He was cut off by his father's right hand while his left hand held a bottle of beer. He went out for a few drinks. Did he upset him that much?

Levi then decided to walk past him. He was about to go far, but the pain in his leg decided to return forcing a grunt out of his mouth as he clutched it.

"D-Dad, are you ok?" Junior tried to help but once again he received a pass before watching his father limp into the building.  
Junior then looked back at the bike and noticed a box on the back. He must've forgotten it.

Desperate to speak to his father, Junior took this as an opportunity and grabbed the box to take it to him. As he walked into better lighting, he saw the words 'I'm sorry' written on the top of the box. Bombarded with curious thoughts, Junior stopped and looked at the box.

A large part of him yelled 'open it!' so he did. He opened the top and was met with a large amount of bubble wrap. Even more tempted, he worked on the wrap and reached into the box. He held onto something and pulled it out onto his lap. His heart nearly dropped when he saw what he held.

"He got me a new laptop."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was Chapter 4 for you. it happens to be one of my personal favourites ad I hope you enjoyed reading it. I'd love to hear what ya'll thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The couple starts arguing, Junior goes on a little adventure and at the end of the day, he makes a tough decision.

Ring! Ring! Ring! "Breakfast time!" a man's voice shouted as a bell was rang in the halls. Unfortunately, it was like he was standing right outside Levi's quarters.  
Mikasa was the first to respond as her eyes fluttered open. She then sat up and glanced around the room, trying to process their location before remembering the previous day's events. She then let out a yawn before looking down at Marie, who was fast asleep.

"Why the hell is that asshole ringing a bell so early in the morning?" she heard Levi groan from behind her. She looked back at him and watched as he tried to cover his head with a pillow.

"Get less sleep than usual?" Mikasa asked as the bell stopped ringing and Levi finally relaxed and lay on his back.

"Last night was exhausting," he sighed while looking up at her with his sleep deprived eyes surrounded by dark rings, "morning, by the way."

"Morning, Levi," she responded before asking, "what time did you get back and where are the twins."

"I got back at I think half-past 3. I walked into the room told the twins to get out and then I joined you in bed," he explained before Marie sat up.

"Morning sweetie," Mikasa greeted the little girl who had just woken up and was yawning. She proceeded to look around while her parents watched her, hoping the previous day's depression had worn off.

The child only glanced back at the floor before a frown befell upon her face. She held the blanket and pulled it towards her chest as though for security.

Mikasa sighed in disappointment before looking back at her husband, "I don't understand. Is there anything we've done wrong?"

"This is no time to blame ourselves," Levi said before placing his hand on her shoulder, "let's just give her some time. Maybe she's just thinking?"

"Levi, she's only two. Which two-year-old would 'think' so much?" Mikasa asked with frustration while air quoting 'think'.

"Mikasa she's human too. She probably needs time to think as much as any normal human being," Levi responded.

"Are you getting me?" Mikasa asked as though disappointed in him, "This isn't something you can just overlook."

"You think I don't know that?" Levi barked back at her as he sat up, "I'm worried about her just as much as you are."

"I'm starting to doubt that because if you were as worried about her as much as I am, you'd have suggested we get help," she responded as they glared at each other.

"Tch! If you…" Levi started before they both heard little sobs. Mikasa quickly brought Marie onto her lap before hugging her to calm her down. She gently caressed her until her sobbing stopped.

Levi then sighed before deciding to dismiss their previous dispute, "Listen Mikasa. Let's not argue about this. We're in this together," he said with concerned look.

"Right." Mikasa then looked back at him. "what do you suggest we do then?"

"maybe you girls should go eat breakfast and freshen up," he started as he reached out and stroked Marie's hair. He then looked up at Mikasa, "we can look for a psychologist afterwards."

"Sounds fine," Mikasa responded before getting up while still carrying Marie, "Aren't you coming to eat?"

"I'll come a bit later," he responded before lying back down, "let me try and get at least thirty minutes of sleep," he said as he closed his eyes.

Mikasa then smiled at him before looking at Marie, "let's go eat."

The cafeteria was quite noisy as a lot of people walked around, going about their business. Mikasa had Marie in her arms. The child seemed less depressed and more fascinated as she looked at the many people around them.

Mikasa then decided to glance around before she spotted her sons at a table. She then made a beeline for the table, "Morning guys," she greeted them as she put Marie on the bench, next to Junior.

"Morning, Mom," the twins responded while Junior nervously looked at her.

"How are you, Junior?" Mikasa raised her eyebrow as she greeted her eldest child. She gave him an intimidating look.

"F-Fine," he responded while scratching his hair. He felt himself shrink under her silent gaze. She was the only person he could admit scared him. He then lost control over his mouth, "I just needed my laptop so I snuck out with Irene and then there was a titan on the car and then we were saved and I fought with dad…"

"Calm down," Mikasa dismissed him with a smile, "I'm just glad you're safe is all," she finished before caressing his cheek. She then looked at the serving bay, "Junior, look after Marie while I get hers and my food. I'll be back."

With that, Mikasa made her way over to the serving bay and joined the line. The food smelt pretty decent in the air. She glanced around and saw even more people enjoying their food. Some were families while others were just friends (she assumed). It was like there wasn't a man-eating monster out in the city.  
She eventually grabbed two bowls walked up to the server, who gave her a quizzical look, "The other bowl's for my daughter," she said before she was served oats. She then began to return to the table when she heard a familiar voice.

"Mikasa!" Eren's voice called.

In a heartbeat, Mikasa turned her head towards the direction of the voice and her eyes landed on Eren and Armin. Without hesitation, she dashed right at them. She couldn't help but feel relieved to see that they had survived the titan, "Eren, Armin. You're alright." she beamed at them like a child at their favourite toy.

"Of course we're alright," Eren said proudly, "you're acting like you don't know us."

"Though barely," Armin confessed, "I went to check up on Eren at his place when the monster showed up in the neighbourhood. We barely escaped with Historia on his pickup truck by the time we got here."  
Now that she had been mentioned, Mikasa had to ask, "where is Historia, anyway?" she then saw Eren's face drop into a frown.

"She's with Ymir at that table," he muttered while glaring at his wife, who was currently enjoying her meal with the brunette. He gritted his teeth, "why wasn't she just eaten?" he muttered as Mikasa also ended up glaring in Ymir's direction as well. Eren meant a lot to her and this led to her instantly hating anyone who hurt him.

Armin could sense the tension in the air and decided to clear it by clearing his throat. "Guys, let's not get any negative thoughts. In fact, we should be happy that we're all alive."

Both Eren and Mikasa snapped out of it and sighed. Eren was the first to speak, "you're right. We are all alive. Say, Mikasa, have you got any space on your table?"

"Oh yes," she responded before leading them to the table where the boys sat. "Guys, you remember uncle Eren and uncle Armin right?"

"Yep," Dean responded on everyone's behalf, "uncle Armin helped me with my homework and uncle Eren's the one that sometimes crashes on our couch when he's been kicked out." Dean had no brakes when it came to speaking his mind. He just let everything out.

"Dean!" Mikasa scolded before welcoming the men to join them at the table. She set the bowls on the table.

"You've all grown so much," Armin said while he looked at all the children. He then looked at the eldest, "especially you. I'd bet you're even taller than me now."

"Thanks. I think I'm going to surpass mom by the time I'm eighteen," Junior said proudly before remembering, "Oh uncle Armin, I got an A on the project we worked on together. I couldn't believe that old man."

"Hey, that project was worth more than just an 'A'" Armin responded looking disappointed.

"I know right!" Junior shared in the disappointment as they continued to talk.

While the nerds complained about how their hard work hadn't been acknowledged, Mikasa has hoisted Marie onto her lap and was feeding her. At least she was eating.

"The little angel doesn't seem as excited as usual," Eren's voice called, drawing her attention towards him, "if you don't mind, what's wrong?"

Mikasa only shrugged, "she hasn't said a thing since yesterday and we think she must've seen something traumatising," she said while looking down at her. She then looked back at him, "I just hope she'll be fine soon."

"I can't bear to see my niece like this," Eren started, "but I know she'll come around soon. She's a tough little cookie and she gets it from her parents." He assured her before looking around, "where is her other parent anyway?"

As if on cue, they heard a scoff in the distance, "Tch! How can you be eating on such a filthy table? What are you, Livestock?" they turned and saw Levi barking at a group of people at a table while Erwin simultaneously tried to calm him down while apologizing to the people.

"No offence Mikasa, but…" Eren started, "how do you handle waking up to a face like that every morning?" he asked as he saw the scowl her husband wore.

"I got used to it after a while. You're lucky he's freshened up because he looks worse when he's exhausted," she said while remembering the earlier days of their relationship.

"It's like he's one of those seven dwarves... uh think his name was Grumpy," Eren commented.

"Don't tell anyone I told you this but…" she then whispered, "he sometimes refuses to kiss me unless I sit down so he feels taller," she said before they shared a laugh.

"My lips are sealed," Eren responded before changing the subject, "are you joining the military?"

"Yes, I am," she responded, "I had no choice in the matter. I was thrown into it." She then looked at her watch and stood, "Anyway Eren, I've gotta go right now."

"Where to?" he asked while looking up at her.

"Levi and I are finding a psychologist for Marie. We planned on doing it before the meeting," she explained before he nodded. She then looked at the boys, "you guys look after yourselves. Your father and I have something to attend to today." With that, she walked off.

"Um, uncle Armin. Can I ask a question?" Junior asked, after everyone had left the table.

"What is it?" Armin asked while giving him his full attention.

Junior took a deep breath before thinking of how to put it. The previous night's events played through his mind. He then opened his mouth and explained everything.

"Wow, you had a long night," Armin said after he had finished explaining. "I'm sure you know your dad loves you, right?"

"He does. Ugh, he got me a new laptop," Junior groaned, "I'm starting to feel like a huge jerk."

"Well, what do you intend to do about it?" Armin asked as he rested his chin on his fist.

Junior thought hard about it. What was he going to do? It's not like he could save his father from a titan or anything, "I have no idea what I could do."

"Is there anything that brought you and Levi close in the past?" Arming asked while trying to come up with something.

"We got really close when I played soccer in junior high but we drifted apart when I started LARPING in high school." He explained as he looked at the blonde process. If there was one thing Junior admired about Armin, it was his intellect.

"You should try and do something that'll reinstate that bond you once lost. It may make him warm up to you again," he explained while looking at his empty bowl.

"Like what?" he asked as the man started to gather his stuff.

"I'm sorry but I have to go," Armin said as he stood up, "I promised Eren we'd tour the town before attending the meeting." He then looked down at him, "I know you'll figure it out. You're a smart kid." With that, the blonde was gone.

Junior groaned as he thought. How could he repay his father for doing so much for him. He came up with a lot of well thought schemes but none were sincere. He then looked at the security guards hanging out at one of the tables.

He sighed before getting up and walking. The only ambience being the sound of his shoes squeaking alongside the guards' voices.

"Hey kid!"

Junior stopped in his tracks. He turned his neck and found it was a guard that called him. What could they possibly want? "Can I help you?" he asked in a flat tone.

"What's your name?" the guard asked him from his table as his colleagues all paid attention to him.

"Levi," Junior responded before the guards all shared a look and started to laugh. It sort of got annoying, "Can I go, now?"

"You know, Levi…" the guard started while turning away from the table and faced him, "you're a pretty good looking boy," he said while biting his lip, "us officers work a lot and we sometimes get exhausted and need a little help to get us hyped again," he then removed his glasses, "why don't you put your mouth to good use and get on your knees for us?"

Junior felt the food rise up his throat. Goosebumps covered his arms as he felt his legs shiver. He looked at the men and no longer saw security guards but disgusting old men that looked even hungrier than the titan he saw the previous night. "that's disgusting!" he shouted as the guard stood up.

"Come on… we can give you however much you want" he said as he started to walk towards him.

Junior walked away from him. Keeping his eyes on the guard at all times. There was no way he would lose his dignity like that, "I don't want anything from you! I won't suck your…"

"Shush! No need to be so loud," he said before lunging at him and gripping him, "let's just work together.

Junior tried is best to escape his grasp but he wasn't strong enough. The guard just pulled him closer, "Please, let go of me!" he begged while trying to plant his feet in the ground.

Suddenly, a rock hit the guard's head, forcing him to let go. Junior looked at the door and saw Irene standing there, "get over here!" she yelled.

Junior then dashed towards the door and stood next to the blonde, "thanks."

"You're welcome," she smiled before looking back inside, "the guards haven't given up. Let's go!" she said before running off with Junior right behind her.

The boy panted as he tried to catch up to her on the street. She was running as though she wasn't even hurt yesterday. She was freaking fast. One thing that he couldn't help was the fact that he kept on glancing at her rear as she ran. "Damn…" he hummed before he almost tripped, "shit!"

"Are you okay?" he heard her ask from in front.

"Yeah, I just stumbled," he responded. He could also hear the shouts of the guards coming from behind him. Irene soon turned down an alley and Junior followed her.

The alley was filled with all sorts of trash and some dumpsters but no Irene in sight. Where was she. He began to look around frantically. He could hear the guards calling for them in the distance and he started to freak out. Eventually, Irene's voice called from above, "get up here!" He looked up and saw her standing on the roof.

Junior looked around until he saw a ladder near the building. He then grabbed onto the metal steps and climbed the ladder faster than possible for him. When he reached the top, he plopped onto the ground and tried to stabilize his breathing.

"Get off your ass and help me," Irene said as she tried to lift a large crate.  
Junior got to his feet and helped her carry it over to the edge. Irene then spoke, "On three, we'll drop it okay. One, two… three!" she shouted before they threw the crate and it landed on the un-expecting guards, knocking them out.

"That was awesome, dude!" she said as they high fived. Their hands didn't separate as they shared glanced at each other's faces. Irene felt a bit embarrassed and tried to hide from his eyes and looked downwards. Big mistake. She then smirked, "I guess you were into that guard after all."

"What do you mean?" Junior asked her. The girl shifted her gaze to him but pointed downwards. Junior followed her hand and saw what she was pointing at, his junk was wide awake, pointing right at her, "Oh, Irene I'm so sorry!" he apologized while covering himself up as his face went bright red. It must have happened when he was staring at her butt.

"It's fine," Irene dismissed with her face also pink, "it was probably my fault anyway."

"W-Whoa, what makes you think you're the cause of this?" Junior asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Duh, isn't it obvious?" she asked before smiling. Her face looked angelic. She had this innocent and pure looking smile that also turned out to be very hot. A feature she acquired from her father. She smirked when she noticed the boy bite his lip, "okay, Levi, let's get going. I need you to escort me to the arena for the announcement."

"Okay," he muttered before following her.

The two found themselves at a park. The environment was mostly grassy and had several pathways and a little play-park where a group of children jumped around.  
Also in the park was a large multitude of people, they all seemed to be there for the meeting Irene spoke about.

"Let's try and get a spot in the front," Irene said as she dragged him by his arm, through the large crowd, occasionally bumping into people here and there until they were in the front. They managed to spot a wooden stage.

"I'm so excited," Irene said with a grin on her face. She kept her eyes on the stage as her father stepped onto the stage.

The blonde man folded his arms behind his back as he gazed at the people below him, "I'm impressed that so many people came," he said as he observed his surroundings.

"There must be like a hundred of them or so," Hange added from behind him.

"I doubt they'll be this many when you explain more about this issue," Levi also commented from behind the commander, "I can't blame them. Those things aren't a walk in the park to deal with."

"Perhaps you're right," Erwin responded as he looked at everyone. The number of people willing would reduce to maybe even zero and that was an inevitable fact. Who would be willing to risk their lives to fight titans after they had just found refuge. Even though having many soldiers would be beneficial, it wasn't possible, "we won't have everyone by the time I'm done with this assembly but… it's better to have ten brave soldiers than a hundred cowards."

"Very optimistic, aren't you?"

Erwin then took a deep breath before his calm facial features morphed into an expression showing determination, "I am pleased to see that so many of you were interested in joining the fight against the monsters or as we of the fort call them… titans," he started as everyone had quieted down, "I will not lie to you though. The titans are a species that we have nearly no clue about and joining our cause may be as good as giving your lives away."

The commander could sense the doubt that began to show in everyone's eyes as they began to mumble among themselves. However, he kept a straight face, "I have chosen to risk my life because I refuse to sit back and watch as those creatures steal my home. The home that I built in that city, among the thousands of homes you have all built within that city, a city that has raised us into the adults we are, now."

The commander then took a deep breath before barking, "I refuse to be kicked out of my house!" everyone watched, taken aback in silence as he spoke. "That's why I want to form a force. A force that's willing to give it their all to ensure that they take back what's theirs. To take back their homes from those titans and finish off every last one of them."

"This sounds crazy," Junior muttered from where he stood before looking at Irene. The blonde looked psyched as she listened to her father speak. She was really into it.  
"However, this fight will not be easy. Perhaps many of us will lose our lives in fight," he continued, "I don't know about you but I'm more than willing to give myself away so humanity can rule the land once more. I'd rather die knowing humanity got a step closer to taking back what's theirs than cower and watch my home get overrun with those beasts."  
"I would rather fight alongside those willing than those unwilling," Erwin continued, "that's why I'm giving you an option. If you have your doubts, then walk away. I'll respect your decision but if you're willing to fight then stay in your position. His eyes then narrowed before he barked, "How many of you are willing to give it your all and dedicate what may be rest of your lives to fighting for humanity?!"

"This is crazy!" Junior said as he watched a lot of people started to leave. It sounded like a careless idea to throw away your life so easily and the young Ackerman wasn't willing to do so. He then looked at Irene, "dude, let's get out of here."

"No, Levi," Irene responded while still looking at the stage, "I'm not going anywhere."

"This is crazy, Irene. Why would you want to give your life away like that?" he asked before she glared at him.

"I'm more than willing to give myself away because I'm not afraid to die for humanity's sake," she responded with the same look in her eye as her father's, "I don't want to stay back and die like a coward while knowing I could've done something to ensure a bright future for someone else. If you'd rather save yourself, then fine. Go! But I'm going to fight."

Junior looked at the blonde like she was crazy. It didn't make sense that she would do such a thing but then again, she was the crazy man's daughter. He then shook his head before turning but his feet refused to move. Why wasn't he leaving? He never wanted to do something so crazy.

Eventually, people had stopped to leave and about 50 more people were left. Half of the people had left. Erwin sighed before speaking, "I hope you all are still standing there because you want to fight. If you are standing there because you think it's a joke, then you're dead wrong," he then barked again, "I urge you again. If you aren't willing to give your lives to assure man kind's survival, then you are free to leave!"

All the people stayed in their positions. A lot of them seemed to be having mental conflict within themselves as they all stood. Still, one left. "Fine then," Erwin said before asking, "Now, are you all willing to die if ordered to?"

"No, I'm not going to die!" Irene shouted from the crowd. Her blue eyes locked with her father's. Her breathing seemed to have intensified after making such a bold claim as her fists trembled.

Erwin let out a small smile before continuing, "All of you brave souls have earned my respect and we salute all of you for your courage," Erwin declared before saluting, with Hange and Levi mimicking him right after, "The barracks will be emptied in order for you soldiers to accommodate them. Don't worry, all the people that will be moved will also be compensated for."

He then stood at ease, "tomorrow, you'll begin training with my associates on the cornfields near the barracks. For now, you can return to your daily business."

With that, everyone began to leave. Some were walking away, excited while others mentally cursed themselves.

"What did I do?" Junior asked himself, "why didn't I fucking walk away?"

"It's because a small part of you was willing to fight," Irene said as she rested her hand on his shoulder, "deep down, you know you're doing the right thing."

"No, Irene. I'm a big coward. I'm just a nerd who LARPs and games and... well, private stuff. I'm not cut out for this type of life," he complained.

"Perhaps there's a reason your body betrayed you," Irene said before pulling her hand away, "have a good day. I'm going to talk to my dad." With that, Irene walked off.

Junior watched as the blonde girl hopped onto the stage and hugged the tower she called her father. Father… father! Wait, he still had to make it up to his father. He then looked at the man on the stage, scowling while Hange spoke to him loudly.

"I never expected you to join the army," Mikasa said as she walked up to him with Marie in her arms.

"I never expected myself to either," he muttered before a thought came to mind, "but maybe there is a reason," he said before looking at his father. Perhaps this was how he was meant to regain his father's bond. Maybe the army would do that for him.

Mikasa then smiled at him before ruffling his hair, "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful soldier."

"Really?"

"You are an Ackerman after all."

"Of course…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was chapter 5 for you. I hope you're enjoying yourselves, and all your woes, joys and critiques are more than welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of training for the new trainees. I wonder how that will go?

"So, are you excited?" Mikasa started as she walked with her son on the barren cornfields. Several volunteers wandered around. Some were carrying out stretches and other workouts while others only loitered and lazed around.

"Not even the slightest bit," Junior responded as they stopped waking, "I'm really nervous right now."

The woman then tilted her head as her silver eyes filled with curiosity and concern, "what made you join in the first place?"

"I don't know, I-I just…" he started before sighing, "I was thinking joining the military would bring me closer to dad but now… everything seems so…" he trailed off.

"Intimidating?" Mikasa completed as her son nodded. She then looked at him before chuckling, "we haven't even begun training and you're already giving up? You have Ackerman blood; you know?"

The male rolled his eyes in annoyance, "ugh, why do you always say that? I don't even know what you mean by it," he said before stuffing his hands in his pockets and sighed, "I just don't know if I can make it. I mean, if making it through gym class was a miracle, what more the army?"

"Just give it a bit of time," Mikasa responded before turning, "you'll get the hang of it. It's in your blood." With that, the woman walked off to join the other adults.

"What's so special about my blood?" Junior groaned himself as he watched his mother walk off. Her ambiguity was getting rather annoying.

"Hey Levi!" Irene's voice called out, forcing Junior to turn and look in her direction. She was standing with a few other teenagers and was motioning for him to join her.

Junior jogged over to the group and when he arrived, he couldn't help but notice that some of the boys were laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Don't mind these guys," she dismissed before looking back at him with excitement, "aren't you hyped up for today?"

"Nope," he shook his head unenthusiastically as the blonde sighed.

"Hey Mikasa," Eren said as she walked towards him and Armin, "glad you could make it."

"Of course I was going to be here," Mikasa responded as she stopped next to them, "Erwin wouldn't let me sit it out."

"hmm, you refer to him so casually," Armin pointed out before continuing, "don't you think you should be more formal now that we'll be soldiers?"

The woman gained a blank expression for a moment before speaking, "I suppose you're right," she started before looking at junior in the distance, "even if he's the godfather to my kids, I should be professional with him from now on."

"W-What!" Eren said with a shocked look on his face, "I thought I was their godfather?"

"And you thought Levi would be okay with that?" she asked the brunette who looked hurt. She then tried to cheer him up, "look on the bright side, you're still their uncle. I mean… they love you."

Eren then sighed in defeat, "stop lying. Junior never acknowledges me, Dean always calls me out and Marie always calls me a dirty man," he then groaned, "the only one that actually likes me is Daniel—or is it Dean? Did I mix them up?" he was while the other adults rolled their eyes.

"Best godfather award goes to the guy that can't even identify his own godchildren," Armin commented but before Eren could retort, a loud voice called out.

"Attention!" Hange shouted, catching everyone's attention. The air went dead silent as everyone stood and looked at the woman before them, waiting for her to speak. Hange then grinned as she observed the crowd in front of her, a look of contemplation on her face. Everyone watched her with confused faces before Levi smacked the back of her head.

"Focus, shitty glasses," he scowled at her.

The brunette then sighed before speaking, "alright everyone. Welcome to the Survey Corps. I'm Hange Zoe and together with my associate, we'll be training you from now on."

Mumbles came from the crowd and the scientist managed to get a few people passing comments about how ridiculous she looked and sounded. She ignored them and continued to speak, "Now, your training will be practical and theoretical. This means that sometimes you'll be taught in a classroom and other times out here until you graduate."

"Now, we wish to get two groups from this crop of trainees," she started, "we need about fifteen people to be under the Titan Science section, while the rest of you will be Scouts."  
"What's the difference?" a short, dark skinned man with a shaven head, asked.

Hange's eyes beamed with excitement as she loved the chance to explain, "the Titan Science section will be responsible for carrying out research on the beasts. We won't have to go out on expeditions unless of course there's need for more research evidence. We'll spend most of our time at the labs," she then took in another breath before speaking, "The Scouts will be in charge of going out on expeditions and facing the titans head on."

People went on about how they'd rather have the position under research than scouts and Hange chuckled at this, knowing how critical she'd be when deciding who'd be in what group. She then decided to make it known, "now, you will all undergo serious training in several aspects of your abilities and this is what will be used to assign you positions. You will not choose to be scientists; you have to be picked."

She then chuckled as the people started talking about her statement. She then looked back at Levi, "why don't we find out who they are?"

The short man then nodded before casually walking in front of the trainees with his hands in his pockets, "alright, listen up!" he started as everyone tuned their attention towards him. He rolled his eyes before speaking, "The name's Levi Ackerman and like shitty glasses said, I'll be one of your trainers. Now, we don't know who the fuck any of you are so when I walk up to you, you state your name and where you're from."

He then walked in front of the first person, "Name!"

"Eren Jaeger, sir!" Eren said while saluting fiercely, obviously trying too hard to play the soldier role.

"From where?"

"What…" Eren asked, confusedly looking down at him.

"Tch! where do you live, idiot?"

"O-Oh, I come from Shiganshina Boulevard," he responded nervously while looking down at the shorter man who glared up at him. "I assure you that I'm going to graduate at the top of the class!" he said, trying to get on Levi's good side. He already had it planned out. Helping out, extra training and making sure to graduate in first position.

"You know; you remind me of a recruit I met back in the army. He was quite the popular guy in the barracks," Levi started as though recalling a pleasant memory.

"Was he popular because of his enthusiasm?" Eren asked, hoping he had finally impressed his brother-in-law.

"He tried too hard to be on everyone's good side. He would always try to help out, try to impress everyone through extra training and setting his mind on graduating first place," Levi explained as Eren felt he had planned right. Levi then held a small frown, "alas, the guy gained a lot of unwanted attention and ended being anally raped every night. He was dismissed as soon as he couldn't walk anymore."

"I did not see that coming," Eren said as he felt all his chances crumble before him. the short man then walked to the next person.

"Name!"

"Armin Arlert of Shiganshina Boulevard!" Armin responded with a salute. His eyes avoided all forms of eye contact as he didn't want to go through what Eren just went through.

"And what do we have here?" Levi asked as he walked and stood in front of his wife.

"Mikasa Ackerman of New Sina Town!"

Levi had to admit that he felt a hint of nostalgia at that time. Memories of their time in the army briefly flowed through his mind. He then felt himself smirk as he thought of trying to push her buttons. "Alright Ackerman, what are you doing here?"

Trying her best not to roll her eyes, Mikasa kept a straight face before responding, "I'm here to join the Survey Corps, sir!"

"The Survey Corps, huh?" he asked before looking her up and down, "you know the force isn't a place for little girls right?"

"Yes, I do sir!" she responded, "I'm actually wondering how they let you in, sir!" her last comment erupted in gasps from the crowd. Mikasa almost smirked when she noticed the shorter man's eyebrow twitch but she held herself together.

"Heh," he chuckled spitefully before trying to get at her again, "alright, Ackerman. Just so you know… the fight you're joining is against titans; the ugliest fuckers you'll ever meet," he continued, "when you look into their faces, you'll be left with nightmares for the rest of your sorry life. So Ackerman…" he leaned in, closer, "do you think you can handle that?"

"That's no problem sir!" she responded, "their faces probably won't compete with ugly faces I see every morning." He last statement caused an eruption of chuckles, giggles and sniggers to feel the background ambience, "and they get worse with each passing day."

Mikasa bit her lip as she held back her smirk when Levi scowled at her. If there was one thing she would have fun with during her service, it was bashing Levi and it never ceased to satisfy her.

"And what do those ugly faces look like?" he asked, unamused by her antics.

"Well sir, they say that if you carefully sneak into the nearest rest room and take a look into a mirror, you'll see for yourself," she commented as the crowd was now in full blown laughter.

"I swear this isn't over," Levi admitted defeat as he walked away from her smirking at him. He then continued to look at the recruits until he stopped in front of another one.

"Historia Reiss, from Shiganshina Boulevard, sir!" she said as she saluted. Feeling the urge to, she glanced in her husband's direction and met eyes with him for a moment before he looked away, hiding the pained look on his face. She then flinched when she noticed the glare Mikasa gave her.

She let out a small pout before looking back ahead of her and saw that Levi was still staring at her with the same amused look as before. Growing a bit uncomfortable, she decided to ask, "is anything wrong, sir?"

Levi then let out a sigh as though he were satisfied, "I like you. You're a respectful woman," he said before patting her head and moving onto the next person.

"You shouldn't even be so proud of yourself, Shorty," Mikasa mumbled as she knew exactly why he did what he did. She then looked at Eren and a look of concern was on her face, "are you alright?" she asked before the brunette slowly nodded in response.

"Alright," Levi started after everyone had introduced themselves, "now that we're acquainted with each other, you should know that it's time for your first training exercise. You're all going to find partners and spar. I need to know how much combat training you'll all need," he explained.

"What if you're too hungry to spar?" A brunette woman, Sasha, asked as she looked at the crushed potato on the ground. Unfortunately, snacks weren't allowed on the training grounds.

"I don't care about your hunger," Levi responded before checking his shoes for any potato mush. He then looked back at the crowd, "come on, let's get to work!"  
The crowd of people began to organise themselves into pairs as they began their sparring matches. It looked like a huge mess as many of the people barely knew what they were doing.

The two trainers stood together as they watched the recruits throw hits at each other. "This is embarrassing to watch," Levi grumbled at the disaster in front of them. He noticed the man that introduced himself as Connie running into a group of people, sending them all to the ground. Were these really the people that volunteered to risk their lives?

"It's not all that bad," Hange responded as she typed on her phone. She then looked away from it and noticed Irene taking down one of her opponents, "Irene sure is determined," she said before smiling, "she's like a mini Erwin."

"I can agree with you on that," Levi responded before noticing Junior sneaking around, avoiding any fighting, "Tch! Erwin always gets the good stuff," he started, "he has the looks, the brains, the skill and even a badass kid. All I get is some slacker that jerks, LARPs and blogs."

"Don't underestimate him," Hange responded before deciding to call out, "Hey Levi! Come here!"

"Don't notice me…" Junior said as he maneuvered through the crowd. He was not going to get his hands dirty when he didn't even know how to throw a decent punch. All he needed to do was to make sure he avoided everyone until they were told to stop.

"Hey Levi, come here!" he heard Hange call. His plans of staying low-key were ruined. He then groaned before making his way towards the trainers.

"How can I help you?" he panted as he came to a stop in front of them. He silently prayed they hadn't noticed him hiding.

"You haven't fought anyone yet," Hange pointed out as she adjusted her visor, "what's the matter?"

"Actually, I just realised that the military just isn't for me," he explained while scratching the back of his head.

Hange then gained a concerned look, "Is it because you're intimidated by these guys?" she asked before putting her hand on his shoulder, "you know you can tell your aunt Hange anything. If these guys are giving you a hard time, then we can let you go."

"Well…" Junior started. This was his chance to bail. Before he could finish, he noticed his father staring at him with his normal deadpan look and he felt the guilt rising within him. He forgot the actual reason he joined the army, "actually, I was just kidding. Hah!" he laughed before the adults gave him weird looks. "I was just fooling around. I can't believe I got you guys…heh."

He then cleared his throat, "Don't worry. These guys don't scare me one bit," he said nervously before a buff man with blonde spiky hair fell on the ground beside him, making him yelp.

"Oh really, Ackerman?" Levi started, "then why haven't you fought anyone yet?"

"O-Oh, none of these guys seems worth my time," he responded before puffing out his chest, "I need a real challenge. Not a novice."

"That's great to hear," Hange boomed while sporting a wide grin with her usual hyper self, back in, "why don't you challenge someone up front? They're probably better than whoever's back there."

"Oh yeah," Junior responded before looking at the people in the front. He needed to find someone that he knew wasn't going to put up much of a fight against him. He looked at each and every person until he realised. Only one person that was probably incapable of bringing him any pain. His mother. "I'll take her on," he said proudly, pointing at Mikasa, who was taking a breather.

The adults shared a look before Hange spoke up, "…are you sure? There are so many people out here…"

"I'm sure," Junior said as he lumbered himself up, "she may be a cop but the only fights she's good at involve getting the twins to bed." He looked at his mother once again. Once he was done with her, he'd be free to do whatever he wanted.

"Le…" Hange was about to discourage but stopped when Levi covered her mouth.

"Alright, Ackerman," he started, "if you want a fight, you've got it." He then looked in Mikasa's direction, "Ackerman! Get over here!"

Mikasa made her way over to where her trainers and son stood. Had he gotten in trouble on his first day? "what's the matter?"

"You're going to spar with me, next," Junior pointed out confidently before getting into a fighting stance, "come on Mikasa. I don't have all day."

"What's happening?" Mikasa asked the two adults as she looked at them. She was hoping she wouldn't have to face her son of all people.

"He wanted to fight you," Hange explained, the look of fear for the boy was evident in her eyes. She then grinned, "I can't wait to see if your abilities are genetically inherent."

"Mikasa, come on…" Junior said as he bounced like a boxer. He really seemed ready for her.

Mikasa only sighed before facing him with her casual stance. She didn't want to do it but she didn't want to waste his time. "No mercy. Don't let him beat you if you want him to toughen up," she heard her husband say as they watched them. A group of the people had stopped to watch.

'This is in the bag,' Junior thought as he looked at her mother's face. She looked hesitant, which was good for him. This was an advantage, or so he thought, "I'm coming!" he said before he took a deep breath and lunged at his mother with a fist held high. Unfortunately, he missed after she casually sidestepped.

"Okay, no problem. it was just my first time," he assured himself before rushing at her again. He closed his eyes before swing his fist.

"What the?" he asked after opening his eyes to lock them with Mikasa's expressionless ones. She held his arm in her hand.

"My turn," she said before socking him square in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. She then rushed at him and kneed him in the gut, forcing him to gag but before he could vomit, she landed a spinning kick against his jaw, sending him flying onto the ground as everyone gasped.

Junior felt immense pain on the regions he was hit as he fell onto the ground. This was not what he expected. He looked back at his mother and saw her with her deadpan look. She was looking less and less like his mother by the second. Suddenly, he felt his stomach hurt before he turned and began to release breakfast's contents onto the soil.

"Oh no…" Mikasa gasped as she snapped back to her senses. She had just brutally beaten her child. All her warrior instincts were immediately overshadowed by her maternal ones before she rushed over to his side and knelt next to him, "I'm so sorry sweetie," she said as she rested his head on her lap before stroking his hair. She felt herself burn with guilt as she watched him writhe in pain.

"Ackerman, let's avoid showing too much affection to other soldiers," Levi started from where he stood, his face showing no concern whatsoever, "he blindly chose to challenge you and he got what he deserved. You did the right thing."

Mikasa then snapped back at her husband, "Levi, in case you've forgotten, this soldier is your son."

"Formalities, recruit," Levi responded with the same demeanor, "family matters remain off the training grounds," he continued before finishing, "besides, you're only toughening him up."

Mikasa was about to respond when another person flew and landed right next to her. She looked to her side and she felt her heart move when she realised it was Eren that was tossed. "Eren, are you alright?" she asked as her eyes darted around for the one that could have hurt him.

Her eyes finally found their target. A short woman with blonde hair, tied back while a fringe was draped over the right side of her face. She was dressed in white, hooded sweat shirt over a pair of blue jeans and white trainers. She calmly walked towards where Eren lay but stopped when Mikasa stood up defensively.

The woman wasn't there for the introductions. She must have come in later. Mikasa felt her body tense up as she locked her silver eyes with the woman's blue ones.  
"Mikasa… I'm okay," Eren tried to say but was silenced by the Ackerman's hand. He sighed after realised that she had gotten into over-protective mode. A mode that had been there since childhood.

"No, Eren, you're not okay," she said before taking a few steps towards the woman. The whole crowd had stopped to watch what was transpiring. She stopped when a few feet separated the two of them, "who are you?" she asked with a glare at the woman's expressionless face.

"Why does it matter to you?" she responded, confidently. She appeared to show no fear at the sight of Mikasa's threatening posture.

"I don't know what's happening but I love it," Hange said in excitement. She, like everyone else, could sense that the newcomer was very powerful, judging by the way she carried herself. Meanwhile, Levi passed a suspicious look at Eren before eventually shifting his gaze to the two women.

"It matters because you just hurt my brother," she responded, "who are you to do that?"

"I'm here to be a soldier," she started, "not to answer questions. Not especially if they're coming from something like you."

"Thing?" Mikasa growled, slightly offended, "you just called me a thing?"

"Well, I can tell you're not a normal person," she started.

Mikasa's face then darkened as she glared at the blonde. Her body was literally aching to give this woman a beating she'd never forget, "maybe this thing can teach you a lesson for hurting those that mean a lot to me."

"Why not?" she said before getting into a fighting stance. Her fists were held out in front of her as she kept her eyes on Mikasa. Everyone silently waited for the fight to commence. They all knew that it was going to be brutal to watch.

A few minutes had passed before Mikasa lunged at the blonde. In a swift movement, she barely dodged her attacker for a moment before they stared each other down. Everything seemed to be moving slowly before they both landed fists in each other's jaws, sending them both back.

The blonde woman briefly nursed her jaw before dashing at Mikasa with the former also charging, both of them moving quickly before they landed their attacks.

"That's enough, you two," Levi said as he stood between the two of them. His right hand holding back the blonde woman's fist while the rest of his body held Mikasa back, "these are friendly spars, no killing each other involved," he explained as the women pulled away from him.

"What happened?" he asked his wife, who only scoffed before walking away, "why's she mad at me, now?" he asked himself as he watched her storm off. He then turned to face the blonde woman, "after making such a grand entrance, you owe us an introduction."

"I'm guessing you're the one in charge around here," she started while looking up at him. she then looked him up and down, "I expected you to be bigger."

"I don't think you're the right person to make that comment," he responded casually before asking, "name?"

"Anne Leonhart, sir," she responded.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that, Annie?"

"My father was a master of the martial arts. He trained me as a child," she explained.

Levi looked at the woman and he had to admit that he was impressed that she seemed to be able to face Mikasa. She showed promise.

"Levi, you're staring," Hange pointed out, forcing the man out of his trance.

"Welcome recruit," he said, offering his hand, "we could use someone with your skill around here."

"Thank you, sir," she responded before shaking it.

After the gesture, Levi turned to the rest of the crowd, "Alright, that's enough for the day. You can go back to your dorms!" he announced before most of the recruits started to leave the area. He then turned to Annie, "you can join the ladies in the girls' dorm."

"Alright," Annie nodded before following the women, leaving Hange and Levi together.

"She's a tough one, huh?" Hange grinned as she rested her arm on Levi's shoulder, "Training these guys is going to be awesome."

"Yeah, whatever," Levi shrugged off her arm. "Anyway, I have an angry wife to deal with so I'll catch you later." With that, he walked off.

Levi finally arrived at his quarters. He braced himself before turning the knob and entering the room. He stepped in and glanced around. She was nowhere in sight, "where is she?" he asked himself as he scanned the room.

His eyes then landed on the ground where he noticed her discarded clothes lying, "Tch! Just because she's angry doesn't mean she should mess the room up," he groaned before picking up the clothes and carefully folding them. He placed them in the laundry basket. His eyes started to look around for any other messes she had made.

He immediately grabbed a broom and began to sweep the floor, making sure to get every single bit of soil that may have entered the room with Mikasa. After he was done, he proceeded to wipe his desk because he somehow managed to see dust on it. He was in full blown cleaning mode.

The door to the bathroom opened, revealing Mikasa in a towel. She dried her hair as she walked into the room, ignoring her husband's presence.

"Hey," Levi tried to greet but was ignored completely. He then proceeded to walk towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her close to him, "come on Mrs. Ackerman, talk to me," he purred before elevated himself using his toes and planted a few kisses on her neck.

Mikasa's only response was to shove him back and continue to get back to her business. She was not in the mood for him.

"Mikasa, come on…" he started but still got no response. He felt himself growing annoyed by her actions, "Mikasa, what's going on?" he asked, now demanding a response.

Mikasa only glanced back at him before she started to put on her underwear. She could sense that he was getting angry.

"Mikasa, what did I do?" he asked while holding his hands out in front of him, "why are you mad at me?" he asked but got no response. He felt his temper begin to rise, "Tch! You're an adult for fuck's sake! Quit being so childish and talk!"

"I'm mad at you because you were okay with me brutalising our son!" Mikasa snapped back.

"Mikasa, he wants to join the military so he needs to be toughened up. He needed that!" Levi responded.

"He needs the right amount of training from the right people of the right skill level."

"Who better to train him than his own parents?"

"Levi, you know very well that Junior can barely defend himself against his younger brothers," she started, "putting him to face people like you and me is just not safe for him."

"The boy is an Ackerman. He should be able to hold his own by now," Levi responded, "it's because of you babying him for all 16 years of life that he's grown into the pathetic nerd he is right now!" Levi felt himself get shocked by what he just said. He also noticed Mikasa's eyes narrow at him dangerously.

"You're a horrible person, Levi," Mikasa said as she slowly shook her head, "I should've known before I said, yes to you."

"I'm a horrible person, now?"

"Levi, you watched your brother-in-law get tossed around like some ragdoll and you didn't even give a shit about his safety," Mikasa pointed out.

"Well excuse me for not saving a grown man from a small woman," Levi rolled his eyes before continuing, "it's because of you being over-protective of him that led him to grow into the careless loser he is now, with his struggling marriage."

"Wow…" Mikasa's voice shook, "I think he and I will have another thing in common soon."

Levi's eyes widened by her statement. This was not where he expected things to go, "Mikasa, wait…"

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing Daniel breathing heavily.

"Daniel what…" Mikasa started but stopped when she noticed he had tears in his eyes, "sweetie what's wrong?" she asked before the boy rushed into her arms and began to bawl his eyes out on her shoulder. She glanced over at her husband with a look of worry in her eyes.

"Let's… sit down," Levi suggested as they all sat on the bed. He then leaned in, "Daniel, what's the matter?" he asked as the child still sobbed onto his mother's shoulder.

"Danny, come on," Mikasa gently urged, "tell daddy and me what the matter is."

They sat in silence with the only sound being his sobs. His mother gently rubbed his back while resting her chin on his shoulder. She was growing concerned. She didn't want another of their children to end up depressed. No, she couldn't bear the thought. She felt her eyes sting.

Levi quickly noticed the situation and rested his hand on her shoulder, "don't worry, everything will be okay," he said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Guys…" Daniel finally spoke, catching his parent's attention.

"What is it dear," Mikasa asked before the boy pulled his face back so that he could look at the both of them. Levi instantly got to work and wiped away his tears.

The boy's lips quivered as he thought. It was like he was trying hard to find the best way to say something.

"Don't be afraid to tell us anything, Daniel," Levi started, "we're here for you."

"I killed someone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'd love to hear all your woes, joys, and critique in the comments section. Don't feel shy, I'd really appreciate it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After one of their twin sons comes crying to them, Levi and Mikasa are in for a surprise when they find out just what made their son cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: violence against children in the chapter.

"What?!" Levi and Mikasa half-yelled in unison. Both had mildly shocked expressions on their faces. Neither expected their ten-year old to say something like that.

"Don't be mad. I-I… just…" he trembled as he spoke. His breathing was out of control as he panicked, trying to explain himself.

"Daniel, calm down," Mikasa said while holding his shoulders. She then urged her husband to scoot, creating a space between them. She then ushered the boy to sit between the two of them. "Compose yourself."

Daniel nodded as he tried to steady his breathing. He closed his eyes as his parents watched him try and gather the right words. What was he going to say? Explaining how you killed someone wasn't anything easy to say. After failing to speak, he just shook his head.

"Okay, Danny," Levi was the one to speak, forcing the boy to look at him, "since you can't seem to pull it together, why don't you tell us what you were up to today?"  
"Well…" he started, recalling the activities before he came crying to his parents.

Flashback

"Hah, catch me if you can!" Dean yelled as he ran down the busy street, his brother right behind him.

"Slow down!" Daniel called after him, trying his best to catch up. They may have been twins but like all twins, they had their differences and stamina was one of them.

The twins were headed towards the play park they had been going to since they arrived at the fort.

Daniel finally came to a stop next to his brother and began to pant heavily while his brother patted his back.

"You're still as slow as ever," Dean smirked before glancing around, deciding on what they were going to play on. "Hey dude, let's do an obstacle course."

"Aw…but you… always come first," Daniel panted while looking at his brother. He wasn't interested in losing again.

"No shit, Sherlock," Dean snorted, smugly as his brother got a shocked look on his face.

"Dean, mom said no cussing!" he reprimanded while looking around as though said woman would jump out of nowhere.

"Quit being a wuss," Dean responded, "mom's not here so we don't have to do what she says."

"No, Dean," Daniel started, "Mom said that we should always remember what she says even when she isn't around."

"So what," he spat, coldly. He showed no remorse on his face, "it's not like she'll find out. Just loosen up already."

Daniel let his shoulders fall as he sighed in defeat. Maybe Dean was right. He did need to loosen up, "Okay fine."

"Good," Dean nodded before running towards the monkey bars, "race starts now!"

"Dang it! That's not fair!" Daniel yelled before running after his brother, trying his best to catch up to him.

Dean managed to hop onto the bars and started to weave through them effortlessly while making monkey sounds, "Eep, Eep! I'm the king of the jungle!" he shouted before beating his chest. He then smirked down at his brother, "do you dare challenge me? Eep, Eep!"

Daniel shot back a playful smile before also playing the part, "Of course I will, Ou, Ou, Ou!" he then rushed over to the structure and grabbed onto one of the bars, climbing at a somewhat slower pace than his brother.

Eventually, he did manage to reach a greater height and was almost at eye level with Dean, "Ou, Ou, I will take your jungle!"

"Oh yeah, I'd like to see you try!" he shouted before letting out cry similar to an ape and beating his chest.

The twins continued to holler threats at each other while making those noses. Sure it was a weird activity but then, what could they do? They were kids. It was their way of fun.

"Oi! Losers!" a gruff voice called, snapping the twins from their play time.

They found themselves looking down at a group of five other children glaring at them. Dean was the first to speak, "who are you to call us losers?"

"Get off of our stuff!" the owner of the gruff voice, a ginger-haired boy with hazel eyes shouted from below.

"Your stuff!" Dean yelled back, "I don't see your names written on it!"

"Get off of there before we beat the shit out of your asses!" the boy demanded as he and his friends slowly started to walk towards the monkey bars.

Daniel watched as his brother clenched his jaw, figuring out what to say. Those kids looked like trouble and he didn't want anyone to get hurt, "Dean, let's just get down. Dad said we should stay out of trouble."

"Tch! There's no way I'm listening to those punks!" he scoffed before glaring back at the kids, "Step any closer and I swear I'll fuck the whole lot of you up so bad that you wouldn't be able to walk again!" he barked, throwing the kids dangerous look.

The group of kids stopped and froze in surprise. They then shared glances with one another before the boy spoke up, "Okay man, let's not get angry," he started while holding his hands out in front of him, "come down here and let's chat a bit."

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Chill bro. we really just wanna chat," he said, "look, even if we do double cross ya, you'll just fuck us up, right?"

"Well…" he saw his brother try to think about it before finally making his decision and jumping off of it.

"Dean, wait up!" Daniel said while trying to get off, only to slip and fall to the ground. "Ow…" he groaned as he looked around. He hoped his brother would come for him but to his surprise, he kept on walking away.

"Okay then," Daniel said before picking himself up and limping after his brother.

"So what did you wanna talk about?" Dean asked after he stopped in front of the group and stuffed his hands in his pockets, maintaining a threatening but bored expression on his face.

"Chill out, big guy," the boy said before patting Dean's arm. He then looked him up and down, "looks like we've got a pair of twin ballers on our hands," he said while looking at their outfits that consisted of white sports label t-shirts under grey jackets. Below they wore black jeans and white-based grey high tops. Compared to the simple clothes the other kids wore, they couldn't deny it.

"Listen bro, we run this part of town and we can't just let you guys play around in our park."

"I don't care."

"Shit, okay man, call me AJ," the boy introduced himself before pointing at his friends, "these are my friends, Edwin, Sarah, Tina, and Joseph," he introduced a green eyed brunette, blue eyed red-head, brown eyed black-haired and a blue eyed blonde respectively.

"I'm Dean," he started before motioning backwards, "that's my brother, Daniel."

"Alright Dean, you're badass. I like you," he said before holding out his fist and bumped it with said twin. "Yeah man, respect."

"Yeah…"

"Listen Dean, my friends and I were about to go around town," AJ started, "we're gonna have fun. You should come with us."

"Why should we trust you?" Dean asked once again.

"It's gonna be fun man. I promise," he said assuring, "we're gonna introduce to our favourite hobby."

Daniel watched his brother think about it once again. Sure it sounded interesting but they weren't just going to run off with a bunch of kids they just met.

"Okay man. We'll go," Dean finally decided.

"Wait, we?" Daniel asked before his brother glared back at him.

"We're going…" he growled, forcing the other twin to submit. He then looked back at AJ, "let's get going."

"Alright."

The group of kids found themselves walking through town. Many people went about their business as usual, passing cautious looks at the kids.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Daniel asked from behind the group. He had noticed the glares they received and felt himself growing very uncomfortable.

"We're quite troublemakers around here," AJ said from up front, "people don't really like us that much so they're very careful when we're around."

"Hmm…" Daniel hummed before walking next to his brother, who seemed to be enjoying their little walk, "Dean, I think we should go. These guys seem like bad news," he whispered.

"No, man. They're cool," he whispered back, "let's just stay."

"B-But mom said…"

"Screw whatever mom said," he spat back, "dude. Quit being a scaredey cat and roll with it."

Daniel was about to respond but he shut up when his brother glared at him. "Okay…" he sighed before continuing to walk with the group. He didn't like the way his brother was acting all of a sudden but he couldn't do anything about it. If he snitched about it, Dean wouldn't spare him.

"Your brother sure isn't up for this huh?" AJ asked Dean as he slowed down to his pace.

"he's just a big baby," he scoffed before looking back at him.

"Hey AJ, what's with the new guys?" a man who was sitting on a doorstep, swinging a beer bottle in his hands.

"Hey Bruno. These are Dean and Daniel," AJ responded while the twins waved, Daniel more timidly though.

"This isn't a safe place for little clean boys, you could get hurt," Bruno said with his voice deepening after the last part.

"I'm not scared," Dean said confidently.

"Alright then, enjoy your day."

The group continued to walk through the neighbourhood. Occasionally greeting any local they met until they found themselves outside a small shop. It didn't look special because of the scratched up, plain green paint and glass doors.

"What are we doing here?" Dean asked as he looked at the shop, wearing a bored look, "you were supposed to show us your favorite hobby. I sure hope it isn't window shopping."

"Chill out bro," AJ responded before standing in front of everyone, "okay, have you two ever shoplifted before?"

"S-Shoplifted?" Daniel asked, terrified, "we can't…"

"No, but now I want to," Dean said, getting excited, "let's do it."

"Heh, okay man," AJ smirked before glancing around, probably for any authorities. He then leaned closer to them, "when we get in there, just follow our lead. Don't make it obvious."

"Yeah," Dean nodded while slightly bouncing.

"I'll distract the clerk," Joseph offered, causing everyone else to nod.

"Okay, let's move," AJ said before they all walked into the store.

Everyone had casual faces as the entered. "Hey mister, have you seen my dad?" Joseph asked as he started to converse with the clerk who was a bald, elderly man with an eyepatch and beard; he almost looked like a pirate to a pirate.

"No, kid," he responded, "I bet he's just around town."

"No, he left three days ago, saying he went to get the milk."

Daniel nervously looked around as he watched the other kids work. Each of them carefully stuffed things into their pockets as they pretended to be looking at items. A feeling of guilt began to flow through Daniel's body and he slowly began to panic.

His eyes darted around until they landed on his brother, who had stuffed a Mars Bar into his jacket pockets. He then rushed over to him.

"No, Dean, what are you doing?" Daniel whispered while grabbing his brother's arm.

"Shut up Daniel, or you'll bow our cover," Dean growled back.

"Dean stop it," Daniel urged, "stealing is bad."

"Daniel, I said shut up."

"Guys, keep it down," Sarah as she walked passed them. If they weren't careful they'd be exposed.

"Daniel, just be quiet okay," Dean said before grabbing another snack bar.

Daniel couldn't help but feel hurt by his brother. He couldn't believe he was stealing right now after all those times their parents had warned them about that and they would both nod and smile at their parents in agreement.

Did that mean, Dean had been pretending in front of their parents? Sure he was always the naughtier one but still, he would never go out and steal. It wasn't right and it wasn't him. Daniel had to put his foot down and correct him immediately.

"Dean, put that back," Daniel ordered.

"What?" Dean asked while glaring at him, "you can't tell me what to do."

"I said put it back," Daniel said before grabbing his brother's arm and prying the snack bar out of his hands.

"Quit it," Dean responded as they struggled, both gritting their teeth and glaring daggers.

"Daniel, let go," Dean growled at his brother before his eyes widened, "I know that face… don't you dare."

"Hey, stop stealing!" Daniel shouted, the other kids glaring at him.

"Hey, so that's what you've been up to?" the clerk said before grabbing a baseball bat, "I swear you'll be sorry!"

"Shit guys, let's go!" AJ said before dashing out of the store with the other kids following.

"Thanks a lot," Dean glared at his brother before running after the other kids, leaving Daniel frozen in place.

"So, you thought you could just walk in here and steal from me?" the clerk asked as walked towards Daniel, readying his baseball bat.

"S-Sir, I…" he started as fear began to envelop him. He was cornered by a mean looking man with a baseball bat that was probably going to be used to hit him. He didn't want to spend his day like this. He just wanted to have fun with his brother in the park.

"Sir, I-I'm sorry…" he whined as his breathing intensified and tears began to roll down his cheeks. Hopefully the man would have mercy on him.

"Hey little guy, don't cry," the man said as his features softened, raising Daniel's hope. "Heh…" he chuckled before gained a facial expression of malice, "I've always wanted to beat up one of you stupid kids." With that, he raised the bat and prepared to strike.

Daniel felt himself shrink as he looked up at the man looming over him with his smirk, holding the baseball bat in place as he looked down at him, as though allowing him time to regret his actions. If only he had stayed in the park.

The man lowered the bat and thrust forwards, jabbing Daniel in the stomach and sending him onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Ow!" he cried as he clenched his abdomen. It was ten times worse than the footballs he received to the gut, daily and it was just increasing his every minute.

"You ain't felt nothing yet," the clerk said before kicking the young boy's stomach with more force than the bat. He really was getting a kick out of beating up a kid. He then groaned in disgust when a bit of puke escaped his mouth, "you planning on ruining my floor kid?"

Daniel, only moaned in pain was he closed his eyes, enduring the pain. All he wanted was to go back home to his old neighborhood, his old house with family. He then felt the man grab and lift him up by his hair. It was painful but not as painful as the blows to his stomach.

He opened his eyes and met the man's crooked ones. It looked like he wasn't done with him yet but he wanted it to stop. He just wanted to go, "p-please sir, let me go…"

The man only smirked back at him, "poor little boy, you think saying please will let you get whatever you want?"

"Mom and dad said I should always say please no matter what," Daniel boldly defended, despite still being in pain.

"Hah, and where are your parents now?" he asked before mockingly looking around, "I don't think they're here to congratulate you for being the best little boy ever."

"Mom said, I don't have to be a good boy for show," Daniel still defended but winced when the man tightened his hold on his hair. He then continued, "she said I need to be a good boy because that's who I am. If your parents didn't tell you that then boohoo!" he shouted before he lost footing and was thrown against the wall.

"Ow…" he groaned as he held his head. He was now hurting in two places. He looked up at the man and saw him gritting his teeth as though deciding on what next to do with him.  
"You kids these days are always lied to," the man said bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"Parents these days always fill their children with so much bullshit it's sickening," he started, "always telling their kids to be nice and say please… ugh! That's the fucking problem with society these days!" he shouted with a frustrated tone, "that's why kids are always growing up to be such pathetic sissies."

"I'm not a sissy!" Daniel yelled back, only to be smacked across the face, "Ah!" he yelled as he held his cheek and looked up at the man glaring down at him. He had already shed enough tears so all he could do was pant.

"Back in my day, kids weren't allowed to yell at their elders yet society has failed again," he complained, "admit it kid. Your parents have done a terrible job."

"N-No they haven't…" he stuttered while looking up at him. He didn't like what the man was saying about the people that had spent so much time caring for him. the people that had devoted a lot of their time to making sure that he, along with his siblings, were given all the care and attention they needed. No, this wasn't right.

"Your parents failed!" he yelled. It seemed to have taken a lot out of him as he started panting. He closed his eyes for a moment as though he were trying to gather himself.  
"N-No…"

The man opened his eyes after he heard the sound of sobbing. He looked down and saw Daniel crying below him. He then scoffed before turning around and walking away from him, mumbling something incomprehensible.

Daniel whimpered as he watched the man walk away. His parents weren't failures. He knew they weren't. All he wanted was to see them again and he needed to go.  
Suddenly, the door to the shop opened, and a figure rushed towards the man and punched him square in the face.

"Dean!" Daniel yelled as he sat up. He felt himself warm up at the fact that his brother came back for him, "you came back…"

"Why you little…" the man responded before grabbing the boy and struggling to hold him down. He was putting up quite a fight and the man was barely keeping it together.

"I'm back for you, bro" Dean yelled as he was trying to escape the man's grasp, "run while I keep this geezer busy."

"Dean don't…" Daniel grunted as he struggled to stand but fell right back down with a humph. He didn't want his brother to get beaten up too.

"Ouch!"

Daniel watched as he saw his brother cover his eye. The old man punched him and was slowly going back for more. Without realising, Daniel was back on his feet, clenching his fists and he glared at the man. There was no way he was going to let his brother get beaten up. He had had enough of this old man.

"Stop…" Daniel released a growl directed at the man but it had fallen on deaf ears as he had picked Dean up and was strangling him.

Daniel felt his blood boil as his eyes narrowed. His breathing hastened as he watched Dean struggle. That man had insulted him, his parents and now he was trying to beat up his brother. No, that wasn't right. "stop…" he growled again. No, it needed to stop.

Suddenly, he felt a spark in his head that turned into a blast of energy that surged throughout his body, passing through every inch of him. Felt the world around him spinning fast and it made him feel a bit dizzy.

Eventually, the spinning stopped and everything fell into place. He felt confident, powerful and he knew exactly what to do.

"I said stop!" he yelled before dashing at the man. All his anger, pushing him forward.

"What the…" the man said when Daniel jumped onto him and started hitting him. He then let go of Dean and began to struggle with the nightmare holding onto him, "what are you doing?" he asked as he defended himself. He then made eye contact with the child and gained a spooked expression, "what are you?"

In a swift movement, Daniel was back on his feet and the man flew into a few shelves. But he wasn't done. He then rushed at him with his fist held high.

The old man shook his head and managed to see Daniel a split second before he punched him and held his fist back, "stupid child," he said before lifting him off the ground forcing him to flail his legs around, "you can't beat a grown ma…ah!" he was cut off when the boy head-butted him.

Daniel landed on the ground with a grunt before hopping onto the man's chest and began to through barrage of hard punches, "don't you ever bad mouth my family!" he roared as he threw punch after punch, scratch after scratch until he was satisfied.

He then felt his breathing calm down and realised that they were on the ground. "That sure showed him right, Dean?" he asked before looking at his brother, who had a shocked look on his face, "what's wrong?"

"H-He's dead," Dean gasped, "I think you killed him, Daniel."

"What…" Daniel asked as he turned back to look at the old man who was knocked out blow him. His face was bloodied and he was missing a few teeth. He gasped at this.

He then looked at his hands that were also bathed in blood of whom he wasn't sure belonged to. He felt himself start to tremble. He was the one trying to correct his brother about cursing and stealing yet here he was having murdered a person. He was a murderer. He didn't know what to do. Did he need to turn himself into the police? Did he need to go back to his parents? He didn't want to go to jail? Only bad guys went to jail. He wasn't a bad guy…right?

"Okay man let's just…" Dean started before his brother faced him, "Danny?"

"I'm going to jail!" Daniel panicked.

"Wait, Danny, calm down…" Dean started but Daniel had already started crying, "don't cry."

"Mommy!" he yelled before dashing out of the shop, leaving his brother dumbfounded.

End of Flashback

"That's what happened to me today," he finished explaining before looking at his parents who had wide eyes looking at him. Great, they were angry, "listen I…"

"He hurt you?" Mikasa gasped before quickly throwing off his jacket and t-shirt to inspect his bruised abdomen. She gasped when she saw the red marks and ran her fingers across the swelling skin. "a-are you okay?" she asked as her breathing intensified, she was struggling to keep it together.

"Yeah, it hurts a little but I'll be fine," he explained as he watched his mother clench her jaw. She was struggling to keep it together, "mom, don't worry I'm okay."

"How can I not worry when you're hurt?" she said between her teeth. She then turned to face her husband, "Levi, we need to find that asshole right now. I swear I'm going to tear apart his corpse for laying a hand on my son."

"Mikasa, relax."

"How can I relax when did this to our son?" she asked while pointing at Daniel's swollen stomach, "first Junior and now Daniel? I'm actually wondering if you still give a damn about your kids."

"Mikasa, please. Not this again," he tried to dismiss. This certainly wasn't the time for them to be fighting, especially after they were doing it before Daniel walked in.  
"But…"

"Mikasa, calm down!" Levi raised his voice, silencing his wife. He then continued to speak, "I'm upset about this just as much as you are but there's no way I'm letting you defile a corpse." He then took a deep breath, "what we need to do right now is find Dean."

"You're right. I-I'm sorry for over-reacting," she sighed, feeling a bit of guilt. She then pulled Daniel into a tight hug, "where do you think we should start?" she asked before Levi's phone started to ring.

"Tch! The nerve of these people," he grumbled before pulling phone out of his pocket and bringing it to his ear, "the hell is this?"

Mikasa and Daniel watched as Levi spoke on the phone. His face went from mildly annoyed to slightly shocked and even more annoyed. He then cut the call, "what's the matter?"

"Dean's at the police station," he said before getting up, "get dressed, we need to get going."

"I'm glad you could make it, Mr. and Mrs Ackerman," a man with short, blonde hair said to the couple. He wore the same uniform as the guards in the area so he must've been an officer.

"Listen, Mr…" Levi started.

"Hannes."

"I don't care," he said before continuing, "I just came here for my son. So I'd appreciate if you'd just bring him out and we can go."

"Sorry sir but we can't just let you go so easily," Hannes explained from his desk, "we need to address the matter alongside Mr. Klaus."

"Who's Mr. Klaus?" Mikasa asked as she adjusted Marie on her lap. They had stopped to pick her up from the day care on their way to the station.

"He's the owner of the shop your son was caught shoplifting," Hannes explained, "i-is everything alright?" he asked when he noticed the couple share a look.

"He's alive?" Mikasa asked, she felt her anger slowly start to brew.

"Yes he is," Hannes answered, "though he was pretty banged up when we found him."

Suddenly the door opened, revealing the shop clerk with a few bandages around his face.

"Ah, speak of the devil, that's him," Hannes said before waving at the man. He then looked back at the couple, who had glared daggers in the man's direction.

"Daniel?"

"Yes dad?" Daniel asked as he looked at his father.

"Take Marie outside with you," Levi said before retrieving the toddler from Mikasa and handing her to him.

"Okay…" he said started as he lifted his sister, "but why do I have to go outside?"

"We're about to have adult talk," Mikasa responded, not taking her eyes off of the man.

"Okay," the boy said before walking towards the exit. Mr. Klaus staggered out of the way in fear of the child, allowing him out of the room.

"I hope Mr. Klaus is okay," Daniel said while looking down at his sister, quietly poking his chest. He then decided to put her down and squat in front of her "why aren't you talking Marie?"

The little girl only proceeded to shift her foot on the ground as she kept her gaze low, not seeming to be interested in speaking.

Daniel then placed his hand under her chin and tilted it so that she would look at him, "Marie, why aren't you talking? Why won't you talk to your big brother?" He locked his silver eyes with hers that were showed how much she was holding back.

"Marie, I'm your friend, right?" Daniel asked her and she nodded in his palm. That wasn't enough for him, "I'm your friend right?" he asked once again, getting a nod from her. no, that still wasn't enough, "you're my friend, right?"

"Y-Yes," she finally spoke, getting a smile from her brother.

I'm your friend too," he responded, "now will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Okay," she nodded before explaining, "I'm scared of the monsters," she started, her small voice cracking a bit as her brother listened closely, "I'm scared that they'll find me and eat me."

"Why didn't you tell anyone, then?" Daniel asked, wondering why she had been quiet about it.

"Mommy and daddy are really sad when I don't talk and that makes me sad," he said as her face fell into a frown, "if I tell them I'm scared then they'll be more sadder and…" her voice cracked as a few tears rolled down her cheeks, "I don't want to make them sad."

Following his first instinct, Daniel pulled her into hug as she let her little sobs be muffled by the fabrics of his shirt. He then began to stroke her back, "When you talked, I was happy, you saw that right?" he asked and she nodded against his chest, "good, so when you talk, mom and dad will be really happy too. They're only sad because you're not talking to them."

He then pulled her back and looked her in the eyes, "don't worry about the monster okay. If anything's bothering you, don't hesitate to tell your big brother. I'm really strong and won't let the monsters hurt you," he said while flexing his right bicep, making a ridiculous face while doing so.

"You look like a monkey when you do that," Marie chuckled at his face, earning a smile from him.

"Okay, I'm glad you're smiling again," he chuckled before speaking, "now promise me you'll smile for everyone else," he said as she nodded. He then pointed in the direction of the door, "when mom and dad come out of the door, you're gonna smile right?"

"Yes, I will."

As if on cue, the door to the office opened revealing Dean stumbling out of the room.

"Dean, I can't believe you would do that," Mikasa started as she walked up and stood in front of him, "When did I ever teach you to steal?" she asked as Dean only shrugged as he crossed his arms.

"Tch! Dean, stop being a brat and answer your mother," Levi butt in, clearly annoyed by his son, judging by the scowl on his face.

Dean tried his best to block out the yelling from his parents. He knew he was wrong but he didn't where to start from. He slowly started to regret brushing his brother off earlier on as he was in his least favourite position right now.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Marie's voice went, catching everyone off guard. Especially the adults.

They both turned and found their daughter running towards them with a big smile.

"Mommy, Daddy!" she yelled as she went and bounced in front of her mother with her arms spread wide.

Mikasa felt her heart drop when she saw her little girl smiling again, calling her with that sweet voice she missed so much . She didn't hesitate to pick her up and give her squeeze which her daughter returned, "I missed you so much."

"I miss you too," she responded before looking around until her eyes landed on her father who stood there watching in awe, his normally hardened features were soft as his jaw hanged agape. "Daddy, come over here," she said, immediately making him rush over and join the hug.

Both adults missed this. They missed having their little girl bounce around, putting smiles on their faces and they thought they had lost her for good. No, their child was back, they didn't know what did the trick but they were grateful and didn't want to question anything. They didn't want to lose their little girl ever again.

"I love you," Marie said as she cuddled with her parents.

"We love you too," they said in unison.  
"Aww, don't cry mommy," she said while wiping her mother's tears away. She then looked to her father, "not you too, daddy."

"No, daddy's not crying," Levi responded, wiping his eyes with his thumb and index finger before clearing his throat, "mommy's just wearing her strong perfume again."

Dean watched as his parents bear-hugged his sister to death. He was happy that his sister was speaking again and relieved that their attention was shifted away from him. He still needed to apologize.

"Hey," Daniel's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned and found his brother looking at him. Right, he had been a jerk to him the entire day.

"Mom and Dad are so happy," Daniel said while standing beside him, "I've never seen them cry before."

"Danny, I'm sorry."

"What?" Daniel asked as he turned to face his twin. He seemed to be having a hard time thinking.

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you," Dean started, his eyes fixated on the ground, "you were just trying to protect me but I blew you off as being a sissy." He then huffed, "I'm sorry." Dean fell silent before his brother spoke.

"It's okay man," Daniel responded as his brother looked up to face him, "you're my bro and bros don't hate each other."

"Heh, I love you, bro," Dean confessed before his brother got a ridiculous grin on his face, "what's with that smile."

"You just said you love me," Daniel spoke, "the big bad Dean Ackerman just said he loves his big brother."

"Shut up," he said before they both chuckled.

"Hey, give me a hug," Daniel said before holding his arms out and his brother walked up to him but when he got close, he immediately pulled his hands back, "Ah, sick!"

Dean's face then went a bright shade of pink, "you jerk, I'm gonna get you!" he yelled before he began to chase his brother around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was Chapter 7 ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed it, though... I haven't really received much feedback from any readers about the previous chapters. It's making me wonder ya'll are really enjoying this fic. Anyways, 'd love to hear what you guys have to say, be it your woes, joys and criticisms. Please feel free to share. I'm all ears.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope ya'll enjoyed that little prologue to the story. I'd love to hear what you have to say.


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